🚀 go-pugleaf

"no spam" <nosignin@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:B8CE0212.39EE5%nosignin@hotmail.com...
> >> The data is a clear indication that there isn't a 1:1 correlation
between
> >> monitor resolution and browser width, and that many surfers set their
> >> windows based on their wants rather than on available space.
> >
> > I'm not sure how you can make you first statement.
>
> I agree that the SuperStats data isn't perfect, , but that doesn't mean
you
> can't learn anything from it.

Never said that you couldn't - remember I'm the "any information is useful"
guy!  ;^)

My problem was the "clear indication" statement.

> For one thing, it's a lot better than just a list of monitor sizes
(actually
> monitor settings but I'll continue to use "sizes" as others do) than so
many
> site provide.

For this, yes - but only when each report is taken in isolation.  I don't
think you can comfortably correlate data among the reports.

> By also getting the browser widths, I can figure out that if 90% of the
> visitors have 800px or wider monitors and nearly 40% have their browsers
set
> to 700px or less, a whole bunch of visitors "set their windows based on
> their wants rather than on available space".

But can you say that with these numbers?  The browser width report has only
50% of the data points of the screen res report.  That seems way too big a
gap to assume percentages will be representative across the board.

Again tho' you can't say this at all unless you know if it's canvas width or
application width being reported on.  If the former, for example, than the
issue could be that most people leave the IE explorer bar visible (which it
is by default).  Also AOL (which generally makes for a big percentage of
visitors) reacts and sizes windows differently than default IE or Navigator.
In both these cases a maximized browser would report a much smaller canvas
size.

If the latter then I think your statement makes perfect sense.  But I'll
stand by position that "their wants" are no horizontal scroll bar.  I think
we can agree that for most people this means their wants can be met without
maximizing the window.  Most people at 800x600 or under will maximize their
application windows however (this is just windows usabilty information, not
a browser specific stat).

You've got me thinking tho'.  I've been asking everybody I know how they
decide what size to make their browser.  The answers so far have been either
"I just always make it big" (maximized) or "I make it so I can see
everything".   The follow up to that: "how do you know you can see
everything?" was answered with "that bar at the bottom will go away."

My extensive sampling is only 5 people (so far; but one of them is my mom,
so she counts for at least two or three regular, non-saintly people).  Ask
you friends and family the same questions and see what they say.

Tomorrow I plan to visit each of my coworkers and note their screen
size/monitor width and ask them this question.  As a matter of course I also
plan on setting the browsers in my lab tests to open as a small window and
note what the participants do... although it would help if the company would
actually allow me to run a usability review now and then.

I'll never get a huge sampling this way, of course, but if anybody wants to
front me some grant money I'd be happy to expand my research.  ;^)

Jim Davis
--
President, Depressed Press of Boston:  http://www.DepressedPress.com/
Webmaster, Virtually Boston:  http://www.vboston.com/
Webmaster, First Night Boston:  http://www.firstnight.org/
Senior Consultant, Metlife eCommerce IT:  http://www.metlife.com/