Computer Screens and Colors

[H. Bork]

[]Bob Cherry asked about libraries intentionally setting their public PCs to
[]640x480 256color mode.  That would include us.
[]We have 14" monitors on most of our public PCs, and a mix of older and
[]newer PCs - containing older and newer video cards.  All of our public PCs
[]are loaded with the same software, from a single master copy. 

However, some inconveniences of older hard- and software can be overcome.
Web pages originally being optimized for 800*600 
can be easily viewed as a whole 
on 640*480 screens etc.

Just have a look at the Opera browser at
	http:/www.operasoftware.com

With Opera one may easily adopt the browser 
to your needs and video adapter. 
You may choose a default zoom betweeen 20% and 1000% 
and switch it individually - thus eliminating horizontal scrolling too.
IMHO zooming (and BTW very fast image building)
are the most important Opera features 
for our low low end 386es and 486 nowadays.

[] When we reach the point where our lowest-end PCs
[] can do better, I'm sure, we will change our video display mode.
That's it. 
Sorry, this will not fit a million pixel resolution
and 16 million colour JPEGs, Bob.
For many million everyday web users 
some 'necessary' hundred or thousand bucks 
may be as far as 16 million light years away - 
lost in time, lost in space... 

Have a nice evening (perhaps at the Opera tonite ;-)
kind regards,
hal :-)