In Practice
If the LaCie 321 doesn't satisfy you (and that means you're awfully demanding!), the FlexScan L997 is currently the best monitor available for photo work. The colors are remarkably accurate. The image is agreeably sharp. In short, this is a serious piece of equipment for demanding photographers.
You can do CAD with this monitor, but in my opinion it's a little like swatting flies with a shovel, since few CAD programs need such expensive color accuracy. Even if your CAD work includes rendering, be sure you really need photo-realistic rendering with 14-bit resolution before you ask your boss for permission to order a FlexScan L997.
The same goes for word processing - it's quite possible, but the investment isn't justified.
On the other hand, forget about gaming on this monitor - it's strictly for serious work. The panel is too slow; remanence was too evident. That's a shame, because the pixel interpolation is excellent.
The same is true for video. The noise level was acceptable, and there's not much sparkling, but the panel was just too slow.
Conclusion
Eizo has a successful product here. The FlexScan L997 is among the best professional monitors we've seen, at least for photography. About the only thing lacking with this unit is perhaps a 16:9 format. Eizo is working on it. However, the difference between this monitor and the LaCie 321 or the NEC 2180UX is just not all that significant. Consequently, spending more than about $600 for a L997 is a luxury only a few professionals who can afford to be highly demanding should consider.
