Web design's perspective has been changed again

Since there are many popular small devices like Asus Eee PC, Nokia Internet Tablet, iPhone, and iPod Touch, the website is not for only computer anymore. Website normally is created to view in a full-capability browser only, so when you use PDA kind of thing opening the web, you will find awkward to see all the contents. However, all browser-based devices above completely changed the view. With the limit of screen estate--800 maximum-pixel-width & less than 480 pixel-height, most websites are not that comfortable to look at. You may argue that iPod touch or iPhone has that kind of ability; but all I can say is if you have an option between Macbook and iPhone and your task is finding one topic or reading a topic in NY times, what would you choose? I bet no one will choose iPhone, not because it's not great, but its screen is too small to skim and scan over the content. You may have to have a lot of touches just to finish the job while you just look at the Macbook and you get it.

Before we used to think from the low resolution to higher solution, that is what web designers have to think of to create a page based on that screen size. Nowadays, you'll rarely see the web page that suits well for the 800*600 screen; they have turned to be 1024 minimum-pixel-width for awhile since newer monitors tend to be wide screen and higher resolution, then if you still keep the same limit--800 pixel-width, surfer will find that the web page is too narrow. Nonetheless if you set the width too big, surfer will have to scroll horizontally which is not quite comfortable. 1024 pixel-width seems to be okay for most surfers, but while the landscape has been changed by tons of UMPC, sub-notebook, or internet-based device. Should web designers change their perspective? By catching the width and resizing the layout dynamically or just let it be by the old trend--increasing the size of screen anyway. I don't know if user really cares about this; somehow this is just what web designer should realize. And it's time to update our web sites again! ha ha ha