I could be wrong, but if you design the site with your monitor as a guide, and you happen to have a bigger than average monitor, then all those old fashioned folks with smaller monitors will be seeing something very different than you.
This is why most websites of any value have kept to an approx, 750 pixel content width.
See Amazon, Yahoo, MSN, ... Then see what happens when you shrink the window down to what a 15" monitor would look like. Usually you can do that without having to scroll laterally.
It's totally a matter of preference. If you don't care, then spread yourself out.