Study: Facing Net with greater resolution

More people than ever before are seeing the Internet through higher screen resolutions, which may be indicative of an increasing use of larger monitors, according to research data released Thursday. Online marketing company WebSideStory said nearly 58 percent of Net surfers reported having a screen resolution of at least 1,024 by 768 pixels as of Aug. 4. This figure was only 34 percent in January 2000.

For many years, 800 by 600 pixels was the dominant screen resolution worldwide. It was surpassed by 1,024 by 768 for the first time in April. The trend will help Web developers build more effective sites with more content on the page, Geoff Johnston, vice president of StatMarket, said in a statement. StatMarket, a division of WebSideStory, provides data on trends in global Internet use.