So it looks like my new setup is going to be a 15″ MacBook Pro + Extra Big Ass Monitor™, rather than the 17″ or 20″ iMac + 12″ iBook setup I’ve been rocking for the past few years. My approach has always been, until recently, to have a powerful desktop setup and a less powerful, but more mobile laptop to carry on the occasions when I have to work on the move.

This balance worked fine when the combination of iMac and iBook was cost effective and desktop power in a portable computer was still at premium cost. However, I’ve been sporting a MacBook Pro now for almost a year (first the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo 15″ model and now the latest 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo “Santa Rosa”) which was smoking my iMac due to the faster clock (2.4GHz vs. 2.16Ghz — and remember that’s for 2 cores, so 240MHz times two) and motherboard speed (800MHz vs. 667MHz). I guess those numbers don’t sound like big differences, but in practice the speed bump was certainly noticeable in my day to day workflow.

Now that I’ve got “desktop power in a portable computer”, there’s less incentive for me to fork out for one of the new iMacs (which are essentially just the latest MacBook Pros’ in a desktop enclosure), so I’ll be replacing my “desktop setup” with a docked laptop when I’m working at home, and take the MBP with me when I need to work mobile.

The question then becomes which monitor to choose? For just about any professional work, screen real estate is like RAM: you can never have too much. At today’s prices you can get 22″ screens for roughly £260, plus or minus a few depending on manufacturer, bezel and extras (iPod dock built-in anyone?). However, the more I read about LCD monitor technology, the less appealing the too-good-to-be-true deals seems to be. Dell and Samsung both have 24″ screens at roughly the £360 mark. So how does Apple sell a 23″ for £600?!?

Well, as it turns out, there’s more to it than just marketing. There are two screen technologies (bare with the acronyms here): S-IPS and S-PVA. The former giving you better colors, the later giving better contrast (darker blacks). Each have their advantages, but the main handicap for S-PVA panels is the viewing angle: colors may vary over just a few degrees. That means when you’re looking at an HD frame at full resolution, the left hand side of your picture may look different than the right side. Not a problem if you’re viewing a webpage, or other “local” image on the screen, but a problem if you’re photo editing, zooming, or doing just about any graphics work: colors may shift as you move your eyes or head around the screen, and it may be impossible for you to view a full screen image with consistent color (remember, these are large 24″ panels we’re talking about, they’ll take up most of your field of vision).

You might have guessed that S-PVA screens are the cheaper to manufacture. That’s why you can get a DELL or Samsung screen for half the price of an S-IPS Apple screen.Looking around for other S-IPS screens is where it starts to get really interesting. It seems that Apple are pretty much the only ones selling S-IPS panels larger than 20″. NEC/Mitsubishi offer a 20″ (and have recently announced a 24″ for £77 more than Apple’s 23″), and LG have just recently released a 24″ panel (for £28 more than Apple’s 23″).To further complicate matters, S-IPS and S-PVA are not listed in monitors’ tech specs. And while viewing angle is the major shortfall of S-PVA screens, viewing angle tech specs are listed as “the degree at which images on the screen are no longer recognizable”, which is not very helpful as it does not take into account color shifts or overall clarity. While a monitor may boast a 140°+ viewing angle, it does not mean that everyone is going to be seeing the same thing.

The Apple displays seem to be very competitively priced for S-IPS displays, not to mention that they have both USB2.0 and Firewire hubs built into them (something that neither the LG nor the NEC/Mitsubishi have). Also, they are SWOP certified, which means they are certified to reproduce colors accurately. From all accounts, they are stunning in person.

Anyone out there have a 24″ other than the Apple, NEC, or LG mentioned above that they find works well for graphics and day to day use? Is all of this hype? That’s what the comments section here is for. I look forward to your opinions.