NYTimes.com makes it OK to go 1024

Conventions are best when set by major players. Most people doing large news sites stick with a layout strictly forcing a screen width of 800 pixels to accomodate smaller monitors. We typically compensate for the lack of horizontal space by forcing users to scroll vertically forever.

That having been said I dig the New York Times' new layout. They really explored the full width of a page. Nicely done, and maybe this'll open up opportunities for others.