LCD Monitor Suggestions

Because of the Christmas season, any items purchased at a BestBuy/FutureShop can be returned for a full refund. I have been using this opportunity to test out an array of LCD monitors.

Sadly however, I find the LCD market somewhat dissappointing, especially for a graphic artist.

Can anyone recommend an 19' LCD monitor with a resolution of at least 1280x1024 (which is what I use on my 17' CRTs. oh well), a response time adequate for gaming, and most importantly, PROPER GRADIENT DISPLAY.

Of all the monitors I have tested, none can begin to properly display gradients, displaying transitional lines at intervals inside the gradient. Furthermore, their color reproduction has been inadequate, and Brightness/ Contrast is an area of worry.

Again, anyone recommend an LCD monitor that will allow a person to effectively design and edit images on a computer (with a price range of about $500).

>>7 I think you've got it wrong.  LCD 'fails for black levels'?? I think you'll find it's actually one of it's many strengths.  Latency is the only thing I'll give you out of that pack of lies - as far as 'small viewing angle' is concerned, it's obvious you haven't even checked one in the last three years - they now have just as good a viewing angle as CRTs - they also have perfect image geometry - squares are actually square on an LCD.  Amongst their many other advantages are: low power consumption - thus low heat output, lack of flickering , they don't gradually gass like CRT tubes do and they weigh a fraction of the CRT equivalent.  As for image quality, again where have you been the last few years.  I'm looking at this page on a nice 24" widescreen LCD with a 1920x1200 resolution, rock-solid image that beats the shit out of my old 21" Sony CRT (which cost a fortune and had a claimed resolution of 2048 x 1600 but was unreadable beyond 1600 x 1200).  Ten years ago I hated LCDs too, but a couple of years ago I checked again and realised they'd overtaken CRT technology forever. 
Whine all you like, with CRTs you're talking dead tech, and judging from the range of CRTs you can buy now, I'd say the majority of manufacturers agrees with me.