I started another thread on monitors, but I have realized that I need to take a step back and get some basic definitions.
The more I research the more I am confused. 10 bit LUT, 12 bit LUT, but what does it all mean when you have 8 bits or 10 bits per channel on your graphics card?. I think my MacBook Pro's Mobility x1600 has 10 bit output, but how does that relate? I have a great printer, and can see the advantages of working in PS's 16 bit mode, but will I be better served to get a 10 bit or 12 bit monitor? Will it get me closer than an 8 bit monitor when I work in a 16 bit mode?
I've researched enough to know that IPS screens are better than MVA/PVA which are better than TN, but little about how to relate the quality of the graphics card to the screen. If I'm using a laptop am I really better off getting a higher LUT monitor at 1 1/2 to 2 times the price? I'm not willing to get a second system; I need a laptop more for personal and professional reasons.
I'm doing this as an advanced amateur, but I am also have a BA in graphic design so I know how important that little extras are. I want to be frugal rather than cheap, so spending a little more to get a better system is something I always consider. I would hate to buy a $600 monitor only to discover that spending twice as much (Hint: it really is as high as I can justify to myself) would have given me a better working system. But then I come back to why is an Eizo CE210W twice the price of a Samsung 215TW when both use the same Samsung screen? (according to
http://www.flatpanels.dk/panels.php)Any help is appreciated, links, books, links, articles, links.
Thank you.