Visitor statistics logs on web sites can tell among other things the resolution of the monitor that the page is being viewed on. My own statistics have shown, very surprisingly, that over 30 percent of visitors have their screen resolutions set for 800 x 600 pixels or less.
While some people may have chosen this setting deliberately, the majority will have left it unchanged because they aren't aware that it can be changed or they don't know how to change it.
I have personally helped dozens of people to set their computers up and discovered that an alarming number of them leave the computer store not only without the screen properly adjusted but sometimes without even the video drivers installed!
Higher screen resolutions allow clearer pictures and also allow you to get all of a web page onto the screen without having to scroll across to a section that is 'chopped off'.
Here is how to do it under Windows. Please note that this is a brief instruction only. If you are unfamiliar with changing settings it may be advisable to ask for help from an experienced person. At each point, note the current setting so that you can revert to your old setting if you find the new one unsuitable.
From the Start Menu open Control Panel. Select the Display icon and open the Display box. The far right tab is marked "Settings". Open this tab. In the bottom third of the box, the left hand side contains the resolution setting. Set it to 1024 x 768. If the colour quality setting in the bottom right section shows less than Highest (32 Bit), increase it to that setting. Next, click on the "Advanced" tab and look at the font-size setting. It should show "Normal (96 dpi)”. If the font sizes on the screen are too small for you after the adjustment you can use this to increase them. However, most people find that setting satisfactory. You simply need to ascertain what is right for yourself. Click on "OK" to close the advanced box. You are now back at the "Settings" box. If "Apply" is highlighted, click on that. If you have changed the setting your screen may go blank for a few seconds, then a dialogue box will appear asking if you want to keep the new settings. Click on "Yes". That should be it.
You may now need to readjust the size of some windows when you run other programs but you will find your viewing experience generally better.
