From The whatis.com Web Site:
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci212895,00.html

RESOLUTION:

Resolution is the number of pixels (individual points of color) contained on a display monitor, expressed in terms of the number of pixels on the horizontal axis and the number on the vertical axis. The sharpness of the image on a display depends on the resolution and the size of the monitor. The same pixel resolution will be sharper on a smaller monitor and gradually lose sharpness on larger monitors because the same number of pixels are being spread out over a larger number of inches.

A given computer display system will have a maximum resolution that depends on its physical ability to focus light (in which case the physical dot size - the dot pitch - matches the pixel size) and usually several lesser resolutions. For example, a display system that supports a maximum resolution of 1280 by 1023 pixels may also support 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 resolutions. Note that on a given size monitor, the maximum resolution may offer a sharper image but be spread across a space too small to read well.

__________________________________________________

From the book:  Computers In Your Future, Third Edition
By:  Marilyn Meyer, Roberta Baber, and Bryan Pfaffenberger.
Published by Prentice Hall, © 1999.

Resolution:  A measurement, usually expressed in linear dots per inch (dpi) both horizontally and vertically, of the sharpness of an image generated by an output device such as a monitor or a printer.

Pixel:  The smallest picture element that a device can display and out of which the displayed image is constructed.

Screen resolution is a matter of personal preference. One of my teachers from the Art Institute told me he prefers to set his screen resolution on the LOWEST setting possible, which cause all images to be displayed quite LARGELY on his screen! This helps him to read the smaller text!

Personally, I prefer a very HIGH resolution setting on my computer, which causes images to be displayed SMALLER and SHARPER. This is helpful to me as a developer, since I'm then able to fit more windows on my screen at one time while I'm working.

Although I test my multimedia and web projects with a variety of screen resolutions, there is usually a MINIMUM standard which LOOKS the best.

My recommendation is based upon that standard.

The RULE TO REMEMBER...if you're NEW to all this:

This web site looks best when viewed at
a screen resolution of 800 X 600, or HIGHER.

Click on the button below that corresponds with your Operating System,
to view a STEP-BY- STEP GUIDE for changing YOUR screen resolution.
Enhance your viewing to best suit your needs!.

*Click here for directions for Windows Operating System.

*Click here for directions for Macintosh Operating System.

__________________________________________________