How Much Difference a Monitor Makes

[F8&Bthere]

Well I'm far from being an expert but I came across three things that I noted in my decision:
#1- the type of panel (TN vs IPS vs another type I forget at them moment) seemed to be mostly about the viewing angles. TN is just the common type. IPS has a wider viewing angle. To me, now that I have an IPS, I notice as I raise and lower my head position it doesn't change in brightness or contrast like my other monitor does
#2- I did notice some monitors advertising a wider colour gamut than others.
#3- and this might be more just a feature of any good monitor regardless of panel type, but I notice a big improvement in clarity and depth- it's like switching a TV channel from a standard broadcast to a High Definition broadcast.

I think if you see all the subtle gradations in a grayscale test strip that is a good thing, but I don't think it tells the whole story.

As for calibration....I am awaiting delivery of a Pantone Huey calibrator I picked up off...you guessed it...eBay... for $75 delivered. So for you bargain hunters out there- if you find the Dell 2209WA at $300 and take advantage of Dell's constant coupons deals and promos- you could feasibly have a nice little 22" calibrated monitor for about $350ish (say $275 on deal for the monitor and $75 for a Huey, I think Dell does free delivery in Canada and USA). The Huey I got off a seller in Ontario Canada called Prodigital2000