Tips on Buying a computer monitor

[XXXmen]

Can someone tell me what i should look for in purchasing a monitor in a technical sense? I want to use it with my Imac as a 2nd monitor screen and will use for basic colour correction and using Adobe CS4. Thanks.

[Seiphas]

If color accuracy matters, you need something with either an S-PVA or S-IPS panel. Consider looking at one of the high end Dell monitors, like the Dell 2408WFP.

[XXXmen]

If color accuracy matters, you need something with either an S-PVA or S-IPS panel. Consider looking at one of the high end Dell monitors, like the Dell 2408WFP.
What is S-PVA or S-IPS ?? Is this a term for all monitors or specific to Dell monitors? How about bit rate or bit depth. Can someone explain to me what those terms mean to a monitor purchase.

[coriolis]

What is S-PVA or S-IPS ?? Is this a term for all monitors or specific to Dell monitors? How about bit rate or bit depth. Can someone explain to me what those terms mean to a monitor purchase.

There are 3 major types of consumer panels. TN, S-PVA and S-IPS. The former is the basic no frills high response times but average(and sometimes below!) color reproduction, viewing angles and contrast ratios, which makes this the most common and inexpensive panels found in consumer LCDs. S-PVA and S-IPS are panels which have much better color reproduction, viewing angles and contrast ratios but at the cost of a higher response time(though usually not by much). S-PVA is a step higher then TN panels in terms of quality while S-IPS is in the high end spectrum for consumer LCDs.

A good site for a quick lesson here: http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php

[ShadowVlican]

all you need to read:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=2049206&enterthread=y