There's little published information about average viewable browsing areas. This is surprising since these statistics can be gathered easily with a simple JavaScript function. A comparison of screen resolutions and average viewable browsing areas reveals significant differences. Generally, as monitor resolutions increase, average viewable browsing areas tend to level off. The chart below demonstrates this relationship.
Screen resolutions indicate a specific technology and are therefore fixed points on a scale.
But measurements of viewable browsing area fall on a continuum and reflect user behavior. For example, a user in one study had a screen resolution of 2560x1024, but a viewable browsing area of 628x623. Take a look at how the people in your office browse. On average, users don't surf with viewable browsing areas equal to their screen resolution. Towards a Flexible Design Aesthetic When developing Web sites we should accommodate a continuum of unpredictable human behaviors.