How does a screen work?

I have to take issue with the usage of the terms "pixel" and "subpixel" with regards to CRT. CRTs do not display discrete pixels. They display discrete scanlines, each one made up of a smoothly varying voltage across the line (and thus resolution is a function of both the DAC in the display device in the case of systems that generate a digital signal and then convert it to analog for display, and the hardware inside the CRT monitor). Also, there is no mapping between any "pixels" represented within that varying voltage and the separate color phosphor dots.

Even "digital RGB" isn't digital in terms of the CRT. It's only "digital" because each color channel has a nominal on and off voltage, with no in-between (outside of the separate intensity pin). However, the electron gun still has a rise and fall time that is not instant.

Displays didn't truly become digital for the masses until the LCD era, with DVI and HDMI signals. Even analog HD CRTs could accept these digital signals and display them.

Years ago I had an LG 32" wide-screen CRT TV. I chose that model because it had a VGA port. It advertised a resolution of 640x480.

I was thrilled when my computer let me choose a resolution of 848x480, and it worked perfectly.

Back in those days, the web was usable at that resolution.

It still basically should be, so long as well-designed sites give you the "small screen"/mobile layout.

Even apart from that, a lot of laptops still have 1280x800 as the default resolution, and that's only double the width of 640x480. Honestly, I'd actually be more worried about OS and browser chrome eating up the space than websites themselves being unusable.

The 480 height is the bigger issue.

Try browsing on your phone in landscape mode.