I'm partial to LG products. Seen them for the first time in England, by buying one of their TVs. Then seen their CD/DVD drives and bought one. Then seen their LCD. Never been disapointed. Solid pieces of engineering.
Voting for the missing LG slot.
Had a Dell UltraSharp 17". It developed a discolored band down the middle of the screen, about 3" wide. Not claimable on warranty. Waste of $350.
Have a Sony SDM-73 17". Great style, good response and view angle. Can't complain with it, but I just seem more attracted to the LG, probably since I paid less for it and I'm getting great quality. I get the feeling that I don't want to wear out the Sony too soon, I guess.