Running your desktop under anything less than the native res wouldn't look so hot though. Reading web pages, editing documents and other desktop applications would probably be alot more difficult if not running at native. But the original poster noted he was a gamer, so I'm assuming his or her concern has to do with games.
I'm very happy with my 2005fpw. Half-life 2 takes on a more of a cinematic feel. Counter-strike: source feels more natural and puts me at a slight advantage seeing more to the left and right. After playing games that support widescreen, I think it would be very difficult for me to go back to a 4:3 ratio. And I don't think I need to mention the benefits when watching movies.[/quote]
I'm gong to stay completely out of the "games" issue entirely. I'm only commenting here on desktop applications. While I agree that the monitor looks its best at native (every LCD monitor does), let's be clear that dropping the resolution down is livable for some (though I wouldn't do it). I have a couple of clients who don't wear glasses (and maybe they should) that grew up using low resolutions monitors and video cards, and tney are very stubborn, and have changed their Dell 17" monitors from 1280x1024 to 1024x768. They live with it that way all the time, and think it's great. I don't think it looks as good, but lets be clear that it doesn't look like "crap." Some people just find it livable that way. I believe that it would be better to change the dot pitch from 96 to 120, before I'd drop the resolution down from 1680x1050 to 1280x1024 or lower). The same is true for the 2001FP. But dropping it down doesn't produce terrible or horrible results. It's just nowhere near as nice as native resolution.
I also don't know why you couldn't change the resolution back and forth as needed. It doesn't take all that long, especially when all the files are on your computer. Lower when you need to, and bump it back up when you need to.
As far as using either the 2001FP and 2105FPW at native resolution on the desktop, it's VERY nice and extremely sharp and crisp, definetly a CRT killer (and I had a 21" $3000 CRT from EIZO). I much prefer the Dell monitors for desktop, and I don't find it too small or difficult to read. I had been worried about this, as have others in the forum, and no one so far is sorry they got the 20" Dells on account of readiblity issues. The native resolution for desktop is superb.
Don't expect lower resoltions to look as good (on any LCD monitor). YOu could never like it as well as native because native looks so darn good. But don't let's say it looks like crap to run at lower resolutions. It just doesn't look as good. What would you expect. It's the nature of the LCD, not Dell per se.