Hi Lukester
You can't really go wrong with the SWOP list. ALL of them are SWOP certified and bound to be excellent.
The 30" Apple Cinema Display is the cheapest 30" SWOP monitor that I know of.
It's a shame the 20" and 23" were discontinued. (glad I got one of each)
If you want color accuracy and a 30" matte screen it can't be beat at the price...just check out the NEC and EIZO SWOP certified 30" models...
How does Apple sell them so cheap?
The iMacs have a really great screen but it's glossy. This drives some people up a wall so you'd certainly want to try one out in person before buying one.
Personally, i preferred the glossy screen of my previous Sony and NEC monitors but my ACD monitors are my best yet.
"Recertified" often means one of 4 things in the monitor business:
1- Someone returned it with a dead or stuck pixel, or it's new with a dead or stuck pixel. Or possibly something broke and was repaired.
2- Someone returned it because it didn't slice bread, make toast, improve their love life or fit their computer. Units used in Trade Shows, movies or whatever often end up "Recertified" as well.
3- They might be trying to clear out the remaining inventory just before the new model comes out. "Recertified" pricing speeds things up.
4- There's an overstock because they don't sell well enough because of all the people screaming "Brand X makes one way better for half the price!" In this instance, slapping a "recertified" sticker on a new unit allows them to drop the price so as to clear inventory.
You will find no shortage of people running around saying: "Apple monitors (and computers) are a Ripoff! Brand X has the exact same thing or even something way better for Hundreds less!"
Funny how none of those "same or better" monitors are on the SWOP list.
You'd think that if Dell for example makes such a great Apple-killer monitor that they'd go after the publication industry and get SWOP certified.
Have fun,
What's you Color I.Q.?
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/829222/
Keri