Not only does it result in Web pages that remain at a constant size regardless of the user's browser size, but it fails to take advantage of the medium's flexibility. Nonetheless, Web site creators continue to develop fixed pages. The current standard page size is 800x600 pixels. If part of a page falls outside the viewable browsing area, scroll bars appear. Surfing the Web with a smaller screen resolution, for instance at 640x480, reduces the user experience to a frustrating scrolling exercise.
Most computers allow users to set the resolution of their choice for a reason.
For some types of work it's more efficient to use a high screen resolution, which optimizes desktop workspace. Other people need to work at lower resolutions, which enlarges the display. These statistics are used to justify layout sizes for Web pages. Viewable Browsing Area Screen resolution, however, is the wrong statistic to use to determine the optimum display size for Web pages. A more appropriate metric would be viewable browsing area, or the area within a user's browser that a Web page actually occupies.