Hi Debbie,

IMHO fixed widths are a restriction of a print medium. The web is different - it offers the benefit of liquid layout which can accomodate to any screen size on any output device.

Given the fact that there is a growing number of PDAs, Smartphones and similar "devices", I think that by adhering to old-style fixed widths you are neglecting a growing market.

Additionally, fixed width layouts tend to fall apart when you change font size, namely when using bigger font sizes for better readability. I don't know about www demographics in GB, but here in Germany the fastest growing user group is aged between 40 and 60. Now, this group is also the group which experiences first signs of sight impairment, so they are most likely using bigger fonts. Hard times for fixed layouts, indeed.

You can partially solve your "design problem" with CSS properties like min-width and max-width. But the most widely used Browser (as usual) does not understand this. Luckily, you can use Dean Edward's "IE7" script to overcome this limitation. Just try it:
http://dean.edwards.name/IE7/overview/
... works like a charm.

hth
faglork

PS: Congrats to the well-earned MVP.