I need a new monitor - What do I buy?

Question

I'm an animator and video editor working with a dual 1.25 G4 PowerMac, a nVidia Ti4600 display card with 128 MB RAM and a Viewsonic Pro Series CRT 17" monitor .
I badly need more monitor space. I thought of adding on a 20" Cinema Display but Adobe Premiere 6.5, which I use often (and was abandoned on the Mac platform), doesn't work properly with 2 monitors attached.
I have enough budget to purchase a 23" Cinema Display but I'm worried. This is my day job and down time (waiting for replacement parts) is a major headache. And it looks like there are major problems with the Apple 23" display.
I looked at the Dell 24" but it only has a .27 dot pitch (I need the finer .25 which the Apple 23" does have).
I gather the USB and FW ports on the Apple have problems so I've ruled out attaching anything through the monitor ports - so ports are not an issue in choosing a monitor.
I really don't know what to buy. Any good suggestions?

Answer 1

It depends on what your application is (gaming, photo editing, video work, or everyday Word/email/internet), but I think most people will agree that color reproduction, contrast, brightness, and response time are the main factors. All of these add up to image quality. Secondary things I would consider are features and production problems/defects.
I have the Dell 2405FPW and have never been more pleased with an LCD, and I've used/had many over the years. The Dell has better specs on paper compared to the Apple. But specs on paper are often exaggerated from any manufacturer. However, there are reviews out (I can't remember where, but maybe anandtech.com) that says Dell's specs are close to actual measured values, and are very good. On top of that, the Dell has tons of cool features (whether or not you'll use them is up to you), the most important being the ability to use DVI and VGA to connect to your computer. I think the Apple display is crippled by having DVI only, because DVI may have issues (there are a lot of problems posted in this forum), and because you can plug other computers into the display that are old, or plug more than one computer into the LCD instead of using a KVM switch. There are user reports of problems with the Dell regarding a high-pitched noise (from the backlight inverter I guess) and high brightness (which can be turned down by adjusting the brightness and contrast). However, the problems don't sound as prevalent as Apple's which have persisted for a year now, and Dell does go all out to make you satisfied so they can keep your money, and so their return/exchange services is excellent. This might be good for you if you can't stand any downtime.
Anyway, here's a a post of reasons why I think the Dell is a better display than the Apple: Phil Ta, "23" Cinema display poor color consistency" #314, 01:38pm Jul 25, 2005 CDT
I should also mention there are some other 23" widescreen LCDs that you may want to look into. HP has two models, one for home/office and one for business, that use the same LCD as Apple. Sony has one or two, but I've seen them in stores and they look awful as is their price tag. Either Sharp or NEC also has a 23" panel. As far as I know, all these 23" LCDs use an LCD panel made by LG, where as the Dell uses one made by Samsung which I find far superior. Samsung also uses their 24" panel in their own branded LCD, which looks very good and has even more features, including speakers and a built-in TV tuner I think.