Desktop monster will change your habits for good

LIKE EVERY BEHEMOTH in the IT industry, Michael Dell's baby produces just about everything that is closely related to the core business world of personal computers including desktops, notebooks, servers, monitors, printers, PDAs (canned?), MP3 players (canned) and many more.

Competitive pricing also meant saving on some features, such as tech and sales support. Many of our readers came back to us with horror stories about weak tech support - buying a Core Duo notebook turned into a lifetime experience from one reader from not-so-plucky little Switzerland.

However, the company holds the flag quite high in one area: monitors. If you ask computer enthusiasts around you, not many will say: "Dell isn't worth it". In fact, quite the opposite. The company sells LCD monitors with surprisingly good features and exceptionally good picture quality.

After taking the widescreen market by storm with its 24-inch model, the 2405FPW, Dell once again challenged the very best with the release of 3007WPF, a 30-inch monitor. The monitor has been for sale for over seven months now. However, we have waited for a revised unit, which pretty much fixed the flaws on the first revision. The flaws of the first generation were visible "white" spots on what is supposed to be black - in short, bad picture uniformity. We took the monitor for a run back in March and quite frankly, I could not find a reason why you should pick the 30-inch black-with-white-smudges model over the pretty much picture perfect 24-incher.

Although some companies placed claims that 3007WFP is a record breaking model in terms of resolution, with 4.09 million pixels on Samsung S-IPS screen, I still remember one particular IBM LCD with five million pixels (2560x2048) and the necessary support for two DVI cables connected to special edition cards. Today, even the sluggish X1300 comes with two dual-link DVI connectors, so connectivity is no problem. The monitor comes with a dual-link DVI cable - if you want to replace the cable with perhaps some gold-plated part that "gives a better picture", make sure it's a dual-link one. The alternative is getting stuck in 1280x800.

So, what does this model have to offer?

The Lowdown
Visible area: 30-inch
LCD matrix: Samsung, S-IPS
Response time: 11ms Grey-to-Grey (14ms Black-to-Black)
Native resolution: 2560x1600, 4.09 Mpix
Size (WxDxH): 689 x 199 x 468-556 mm<<br> Weight: 10.47 KG
Connectors: DVI with HDCP, USB 2.0
Pros: Small footprint, capital-size resolution, 9-in-2 memory card reader
Contras: Lacking in connector area, screen homogeneity still isn't as good as 2405FWP
Price w/VAT (UK): 1,417,10 squids
Price w/VAT(US): 2,199,00 bucks (1,178 squids)
Dell Currency Ratio: One squid equals 1.55 bucks
Real world Currecy: One squid equals 1.87 bucks

The monitor comes in a bog standard cardboard box bearing the logo of the Other Big Blue, but the very first surprise this model gave us was its weight. Or the lack of it. The monitor is so light that you can get a sense of false security, but although you can handle the 3007WFP with a single hand - we would not advise it. The 3007WFP retails in UK for around 1,400 squids, which is steep - but a great price anyway. Remember, for a 20-inch CRT you would be set for around the same figure around 10 years ago. A year per inch - sounds pretty good when compared to the advancemes in 80s and early 90s.
We are maddened and saddened by the lack of connectors on the backside - both the 2405FWP and the new 2407WFP come with an array of connectors, ranging from DVI and analogue D-SUB to S-VHS and composite. With 3007WFP, it's dual-link DVI or nothing. However, the setup is extremely easy, and no matter what desk you are using, if you have around 70 centimetres of space in width and around 20 cm in depth, there is a 99% possibility that you'll have no problems in adjusting the monitor. The screen itself can be raised by nine centimetres from its original position - but we didn't feel too happy about the feel that the extender arm leaves us with. It feels fragile.

Visually speaking, the monitor is stunning and takes a commanding part of any workspace. With this monitor, you can pretty much forget all of the popular 42-inch LCD and plasma TVs of today, since they don't have the resolution to offer a crystal-sharp picture. Watching HD signal on this monitor will help you to forget there is a world of consumer electronics. Picture quality is improved compared to the first edition, and now there aren't any white smudges on the screen. The only obvious defect is a visible difference between the lower and upper part of the screen, due to positioning of the lamp. However, with a screen size of 30-inch, this was almost unavoidable.

Sadly, this resolution takes an extraordinary strain on hardware, and this is one of those products that simply can't perform unless all components are "right on the money". Playing World of Warcraft, Need for Speed: Most Wanted or Oblivion in 2560x1600 is as close to perfection as you can afford without selling an arm and a leg. Your kidney however, will probably be required, since even a year and half old WoW can't run in more than 30fps with occasional annoying stuttering on anything less than 7800GTX 256MB or X1800XT, but we find 7950GX2 to be a more pleasant combination than two 7900GTXs. In a MAD world, pair this baby with an X1900XT. Or just wait for the world of DirectX 10, coming this Autumn.

Conclusions
My personal opinion is that 3007WFP is really an extraordinary product, but it is a bit too big for everyday use. If you're earning your money as a code-jockey, video producer or photographer or a Photoshop-artist, this is the ultimate ticket for a king-sized desktop. With its almost four megapixels, it presents an ideal for multimillion pixel photographs or simply editing 1080p signal sized in a 1:1 ratio. However, if you want to use this monitor for gaming, you will feel certain eye restrain. If you need to have an overview to the complete scene of battle, especially in shooters - you could feel a bit stretched - and missing on some of the parts of scene.

In the end, we can only conclude that this monitor is a deal breaker for all those companies who were telling us the 1080p resolution was the way to go. ?