Snobbery, prestige, and, yes, paper specs are unavoidable parts of any consumer decision. I think it's more understandable in this particular sector because good monitors are so hard to find in physical shops (and of course they probably won't be set up properly anyhow) -- so most punters are buying semi-blind. The desperation evident in some of the queries found on Hard|Forum threads ('
please, does this monitor do / suffer XYZ?!') demonstrates the degree of buyer panic and frustration out there. Yes, some retailers offer liberal return policies, but it's still a pain in the arse repacking and shipping back a big monitor.
The other issue is that a monitor is often a big, long-term investment, especially in comparison to other computing kit. And we stare at them all day (sometimes all night) long...
I think most of us know that we must take the manufacturers' press with an ample dose of salt. This is why user and semipro reviews are so critical in this area -- someone else's empirical experience is the best info we can usually get on QA, response time, ergonomics, etc.
Apple Cinema monitors are Glossy IPS displays.
D'oh! Completely forgot about them. For some reason they've dropped off my radar -- probably owing to their glossiness (jah, I'm pro-matte) and the arrival of so many affordable IPS displays. A few years ago, the 23-inch Apple Cinema Display was one of the most affordable 1920x1200 IPS monitors, if you can believe it!
Speaking of affordable IPS, the Dell U2410 can be discounted with a coupon again, down to $449.10 today.