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I just recieved the Dell 2007WFP this afternoon..I've had the F-20 about 5 months. I was going to wait until I spent more time with the Dell to post this comparison but I don't think anything will change.
When the Dell arrived today the first thing I did was check the service menu...definitely LG/Philips S-IPS. Using dead pixel buddy I found no dead pixels and using 2 different gradient tests I noticed no banding in desktop mode with DVI. The next step was to darken the room and run my Spyder2 express colorimeter, the monitor was actually set up pretty well from the factory but the calibration did make a noticeable improvement. I then tried out portrait mode for the first time..it works surprisingly well with webpages such as this forum and I can see it being helpful to people who read long pages of text. For me however it would probably be more of a "showoff to friends" type feature instead of really useful. I really like the swivel feature of the stand but that is the only "extra" the Dell provides that I really have a use for...I have unused usb ports on the front and back of my comp so the 3 additional ports on the monitor are superfluous for my uses. Most monitors (such as my F-20) that don't have a height adjustment are already close to the level I would use anyway..and most all chairs will raise and lower. The monitor itself is nice looking, very industrial but with good styling cues all the same. The buttons on the front are fairly well done but require a little too much pressure..and I don't really like the yellow color of the led lighting. The menu is not what I would call intuitive (most monitor menus aren't) but it does offer a wealth of adjustment options.
Overall the 2007WFP is a very nice monitor and well worth the current sale price except for one big issue that I have...the anti-glare screen coating. I know that the "anti-glare vs glossy" thing is a matter of personal preference but my preference is strongly towards the glossy. Looking at the Dell it's almost like you have a fine mesh stocking over your head versus the clarity of the glossy screen such as the F-20. Call me crazy if you must but that is just what my eyes tell me...and this is the 4th anti-glare monitor that I've owned and I use one at work and they all have the slightly fuzzy look to me.
Summary: Dell 2007WFP
pros-
1. S-IPS panel with no banding or dead pixels, good picture quality
2. Stylish stand and thin bezel with usb ports, tilt, swivel and pivot adjustments that all work well
3. Inputs for S-video and composite
4. Good selection of OSD options including preset modes for desktop, gaming and multimedia, scaling including 1:1, 4:3 and "fill" which just fills the screen no matter what.
cons-
1. Horrible anti-glare coating which give 3D graphics and even desktop backgrounds a kind of flat or slightly washed out look.
2. No component input for HD boxes/dvd players.
I recieved my F-20 about 5 months ago..I didn't even know that a "Ferrari monitor" existed and probably wouldn't have been interested if I had not seen one for myself. I have a consulting business on the side in addition to my normal job and I was contracted by a law firm in town to completely outfit their offices with computers and printers. The owning partner gave me a budget and free reign to choose the components except for one thing...he had to have Ferrari monitors all the way around and Acer Ferrari laptops. The desk workstation computers came from Dell but the included monitors were tossed in a closet and replaced with six beautiful Acer F-20 20" widescreens. I was so impressed by not only the knockout looks and picture quality but also the fact that all six arrived without a single dead pixel. Needless to say the next day I ordered one for myself and haven't looked back...until the vaunted Dell went on sale again this past week and I couldn't resist.
After the above experience with my new Dell I hooked the F-20 back up, ran Spyder 2 and confirmed what I already knew. I much prefer the glossy screen of the Acer to the anti-glare of the Dell. As far as panel type I am now convinced the F-20 I recieved has an S-IPS panel...I know that some believe the F-20 is P-MVA, and some could be but the service menu doesn't deny or confirm anything..."LG/AU 20.1 WS TFT" means that they probably do the panel lottery that Dell is so fond of. The PQ is just as good as the Dell with the same viewing angles and IPS characteristics. The big difference is the glossy panel makes the colors look richer and more saturated. The F-20 has a completely different approach to design than the Dell...the Bezel is fairly wide and glossy black, the buttons for the OSD are hidden on the side but subtle labels on the side means you can use them without turning the monitor to look. Overall the glossy black of the bezel and the fire engine red are very striking and not at all cheesy looking as you might imagine. I would say that as far as looks and PQ the Acer wins but falls short with limited stand adjustment, DVI and VGA inputs only and no usb ports. Overall a great monitor that can be found for under $400 shipped.
pros-
1. S-IPS (or P-MVA) provides good color and PQ
2. Stunning design with glossy black, bright red and curves in the right places
3. Glossy screen coating provides richer, more saturated looking color vs matte/anti-glare
cons-
1. Slightly higher price than the Dell
2. Limited stand adjustment, no portrait mode
3. Only DVI and VGA inputs
4. No hardware scaling
Verdict-
The winner? It may seem clear that the Dell is the winner by default due to the extra features it provides but that is not the case. When it comes right down to it you have to ask yourself what is really the ONE important thing about a monitor....after all it is your window (no pun intended) into your computer and provides a graphical representation of everything you do. I know I will get flamed by the Dell !!!!!!s but the anti-glare coating is the deal killer for me and the Dell is going back for a refund tomorrow. You spend all your time at your desk looking at your monitor so it might as well look nice (the Dell does look nice but the Acer wins on this count) and above all not have a screen that is annoying or tiresome to look at. For some that means having absolutely no reflectiveness but those who have used the glossy panel and liked it know what I'm talking about when I say there is no going back. Winner: Acer F-20
Although my next monitor may be a NEC 20WMGX2 or it's successor if I can justify the high price they demand.
edit- I did try gaming but wanted to keep this as short as possible...both monitors perform well and even though I know there is ghosting on both of them (because I've been told so ) I honestly don't see it. The Acer does have richer colors but other than that..no difference.
When the Dell arrived today the first thing I did was check the service menu...definitely LG/Philips S-IPS. Using dead pixel buddy I found no dead pixels and using 2 different gradient tests I noticed no banding in desktop mode with DVI. The next step was to darken the room and run my Spyder2 express colorimeter, the monitor was actually set up pretty well from the factory but the calibration did make a noticeable improvement. I then tried out portrait mode for the first time..it works surprisingly well with webpages such as this forum and I can see it being helpful to people who read long pages of text. For me however it would probably be more of a "showoff to friends" type feature instead of really useful. I really like the swivel feature of the stand but that is the only "extra" the Dell provides that I really have a use for...I have unused usb ports on the front and back of my comp so the 3 additional ports on the monitor are superfluous for my uses. Most monitors (such as my F-20) that don't have a height adjustment are already close to the level I would use anyway..and most all chairs will raise and lower. The monitor itself is nice looking, very industrial but with good styling cues all the same. The buttons on the front are fairly well done but require a little too much pressure..and I don't really like the yellow color of the led lighting. The menu is not what I would call intuitive (most monitor menus aren't) but it does offer a wealth of adjustment options.
Overall the 2007WFP is a very nice monitor and well worth the current sale price except for one big issue that I have...the anti-glare screen coating. I know that the "anti-glare vs glossy" thing is a matter of personal preference but my preference is strongly towards the glossy. Looking at the Dell it's almost like you have a fine mesh stocking over your head versus the clarity of the glossy screen such as the F-20. Call me crazy if you must but that is just what my eyes tell me...and this is the 4th anti-glare monitor that I've owned and I use one at work and they all have the slightly fuzzy look to me.
Summary: Dell 2007WFP
pros-
1. S-IPS panel with no banding or dead pixels, good picture quality
2. Stylish stand and thin bezel with usb ports, tilt, swivel and pivot adjustments that all work well
3. Inputs for S-video and composite
4. Good selection of OSD options including preset modes for desktop, gaming and multimedia, scaling including 1:1, 4:3 and "fill" which just fills the screen no matter what.
cons-
1. Horrible anti-glare coating which give 3D graphics and even desktop backgrounds a kind of flat or slightly washed out look.
2. No component input for HD boxes/dvd players.
I recieved my F-20 about 5 months ago..I didn't even know that a "Ferrari monitor" existed and probably wouldn't have been interested if I had not seen one for myself. I have a consulting business on the side in addition to my normal job and I was contracted by a law firm in town to completely outfit their offices with computers and printers. The owning partner gave me a budget and free reign to choose the components except for one thing...he had to have Ferrari monitors all the way around and Acer Ferrari laptops. The desk workstation computers came from Dell but the included monitors were tossed in a closet and replaced with six beautiful Acer F-20 20" widescreens. I was so impressed by not only the knockout looks and picture quality but also the fact that all six arrived without a single dead pixel. Needless to say the next day I ordered one for myself and haven't looked back...until the vaunted Dell went on sale again this past week and I couldn't resist.
After the above experience with my new Dell I hooked the F-20 back up, ran Spyder 2 and confirmed what I already knew. I much prefer the glossy screen of the Acer to the anti-glare of the Dell. As far as panel type I am now convinced the F-20 I recieved has an S-IPS panel...I know that some believe the F-20 is P-MVA, and some could be but the service menu doesn't deny or confirm anything..."LG/AU 20.1 WS TFT" means that they probably do the panel lottery that Dell is so fond of. The PQ is just as good as the Dell with the same viewing angles and IPS characteristics. The big difference is the glossy panel makes the colors look richer and more saturated. The F-20 has a completely different approach to design than the Dell...the Bezel is fairly wide and glossy black, the buttons for the OSD are hidden on the side but subtle labels on the side means you can use them without turning the monitor to look. Overall the glossy black of the bezel and the fire engine red are very striking and not at all cheesy looking as you might imagine. I would say that as far as looks and PQ the Acer wins but falls short with limited stand adjustment, DVI and VGA inputs only and no usb ports. Overall a great monitor that can be found for under $400 shipped.
pros-
1. S-IPS (or P-MVA) provides good color and PQ
2. Stunning design with glossy black, bright red and curves in the right places
3. Glossy screen coating provides richer, more saturated looking color vs matte/anti-glare
cons-
1. Slightly higher price than the Dell
2. Limited stand adjustment, no portrait mode
3. Only DVI and VGA inputs
4. No hardware scaling
Verdict-
The winner? It may seem clear that the Dell is the winner by default due to the extra features it provides but that is not the case. When it comes right down to it you have to ask yourself what is really the ONE important thing about a monitor....after all it is your window (no pun intended) into your computer and provides a graphical representation of everything you do. I know I will get flamed by the Dell !!!!!!s but the anti-glare coating is the deal killer for me and the Dell is going back for a refund tomorrow. You spend all your time at your desk looking at your monitor so it might as well look nice (the Dell does look nice but the Acer wins on this count) and above all not have a screen that is annoying or tiresome to look at. For some that means having absolutely no reflectiveness but those who have used the glossy panel and liked it know what I'm talking about when I say there is no going back. Winner: Acer F-20
Although my next monitor may be a NEC 20WMGX2 or it's successor if I can justify the high price they demand.edit- I did try gaming but wanted to keep this as short as possible...both monitors perform well and even though I know there is ghosting on both of them (because I've been told so
) I honestly don't see it. The Acer does have richer colors but other than that..no difference.