In 2003 we concluded that the Cinema Displays had great color gamuts that could match those of highend CRT displays. One of the improvements [in the new models - Swordmaker] is that the color gamut is bigger than before, so it is capable of producing even more exact color simulations than before. Therefore, we conclude that Cinema Displays can perfectly be used in various creative markets. More than 95% of all Offset printed colors, and 88% of the PANTONE swatches can be matched within a tolerance of < 3.0 Delta-E (CIE94).Warmup and stability
The warmup time and color stability remain more or less the same as before for the 20” and the new 30” displays. The display will stabilize after a warmup time of about 90 minutes, which is normal for these types of TFT displays. The 23HD display even stabilizes in about 15 minutes! After the warmup period, the colors remain exactly the same, and will not shift over time (< 1.00 Delta-E (CIE94))!... The Apple Cinema Displays are certified for digital softproofing by Kodak Polychrome Graphics.
...Mac OS X is the only operating system that fully supports the International Color Consortium's version 4 standard for managing color — delivering the industry’s most advanced OS-level color management system.
This is one primary reason why Apple Cinema Displays are more expensive than other similar sized LCD displays: they are engineered and built to exacting standards for the graphics industry and are calibrated to be so out of the box.
That being said, they still are not as good as the BEST (read about five times more expensive... would you believe $10,000 to $15,000 for a monitor??? ) CRT displays designed for graphical use.
I'll stick with CRT's for a little bit longer... $130-$140 for 21"...