Hi Osher,
Primary question you should ask yourself when considering the purchase of an LCD is what will it be used for.
The reasoning is that LCD panels are judged in performance based on certain specifications matching up with the application for which it will be used.
Contrast ratio will indicate how legible it is (for lack of a 300 word explanation).
Brightness indicates obviously how bright it will be.
Response time will tell you how quick it is.
Format indicates 4:3 (square) or 16:9 (widescreen) aspect ratio.
If you are surfing the web or using MS Office, contrast ratio and brightness should be your two most relevant criteria. The higher the better. If this is the case a 4:3 aspect ratio is also fine.
If on the other hand, you are a multimedia user, playing DVD's and games etc...then response time is very important. A lower number in milliseconds is better. This indicates how quickly individual pixels can be turned off and on.
DVD's, games and multimedia applications such a Adobe Photoshop or Premiere also look way better and take advantage of 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio.
Most manufacturers really play up the response time numbers. So you will see ads proclaming a 8ms or 2 ms response time in order to impress. In actual fact unless you are a hardcore gamer the response time is not as important and is also dependent on the video card you have. Recently Viewsonic introduced a new measurement to response times called grey to grey which allows them to push better numbers. Previously vendors of LCD panels measured response times by how long it takes to turn a pixel on and off from black to black. For comparison a grey to grey 4ms is typically equivalent to a 8ms black to black. So be sure that when you read the spec. sheets you understand which number you are looking at.
In general I advise people to go see the panel in person. The specs cannot in and of themselves help you determine the performance of the LCD. Go to a store like Best Buy and try a few on, but don't let the salesperson just wow you with a DVD, it may play movies nicely but the sharpness of the test and colour rendition for office work could be less than stellar and leave you with squinting bloodshot eyes.
If you have a modern video card, check to see if you have a DVI (digital Video Interface) connector. If you do, then spend the extra money on a panel with the matching DVI capabilities. If you do you will move from the analog world to the dgital world and the difference can be amamzing.
As for brands:
Acer makes a great 19" widescreen with great specs called the 1916Wsd that can be purchased here in Canada for about $250.00 Canadian and includes a DVI connector (not to be confused with 1916W).
Viewsonics 930B is very nice and can pivot and tilt in every direction (almost).
Samsung makes outstanding panels with some of the highest contrast ratios in the industry.
Also, all of the Dell panels I have seen in the wild look very nice and crisp and legible. If you keep an eye on their website they frequently run special pricing deals with free shipping.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Punchy