Ive been eying HP ZR24w too. Dont understand why newegg wont adjust the price down to reflect HPs price ($100 less ask by HP).
The reason for the discrepancy, as I understand it, is that when HP releases new products in its business line (and the ZR24w is a business line monitor), they release it under their Smart Buy program which gives the product promo pricing. Not all merchants qualify to participate in the Smart Buy program so therefore not all merchants have access to the lower price.
The product doesn't stay in the Smart Buy program forever and when the promo price is gone it's gone. Just witness the HP LP2475W. When it was released you could find it for ~$400, too, with Smart Buy pricing, but now it no longer qualifies and you can't touch a new 2475 for anywhere near that low price.
Who knows when the promo pricing for the ZR24w will expire? It might be an argument to buy one sooner rather than later.
On the subject of Newegg, why would anyone want to buy a monitor from them at any price? They have one of the absolute worst monitor return policies in the business. Last I heard you had to have no less than EIGHT dead pixels to qualify for a return. Eight!!
An issue with HP ZR24w might be "the dirty look" reported for its IPS implementation.
I don't know if I would call it a 'dirty look'. Some forums and web sites will look 'subdued' in color due to how I have the brightness set on my monitor, but I like that as it promotes less eyestrain. Any subdued colors disappear as soon as I fire up a game anyway. The ZR24w is capable of very vibrant, breath-taking color. If you're worried, buy from a vendor with a good return policy, but unless you are unlucky & get a bad unit, I'm willing to wager you'll never take advantage of being able to return it.
In your case, inherent slowness of the IPS type panel could be an issue. If your really set on gaming, I dont know why you would need an IPS necessarily. There are some nice five star TN with 170/160 viewing angles which people seem satisfied with.
I may just not be senstive to it, but I experience no lagging/ghosting when I game, but it may be the games I play. Most people, honestly, really need an IPS panel. However, I think most people (myself included) would greatly prefer one once they see an IPS panel next to a TN.
I am interested in hearing respondents of HP ZR24w experience. I think we will not see too much HP ZR24w action on newegg till they move the pricing for this LCD commensurate with the manufacturers.
I love mine. With coming from a 22" Diamondtron CRT monitor I was a hard sell, too. I came to the land of LCD monitors with extremely high expectations including the expectation that nothing was going to live up to my outrageous, unreasonable demands.
I purchased my ZR24w from a merchant with a great return policy because I knew I would be sending it back & swearing off crappy LCD monitors for another 5 years. Now here it is weeks later & the ZR24w is still sitting on my desk.
Maybe I just received an exceptionally good unit. Maybe I mistakenly took delivery of a 'golden sample' that was supposed to be destined for a reviewer's hands, but I haven't experienced any of the problems that have been reported by users on the internet. My experience has been flawless and I love this monitor. Please pardon me, as I have to pause to take a drink of water as these words I am choking on in my throat as I despise HP as a company, its business practices, and everything it stands for as a company, but damn! This is a fine monitor.
I even like the company logo on the bezel. It's nice and small...very innocuous & blends in while you're viewing the screen rather being huge, silver, and in your face like the logos on most Dell monitors.