Ah, wow, that sounds lousy. Sorry it didn't work out for you. Didn't see this with either of two of mine. Buying Dell (as opposed to a no-name brand) should ensure a higher-quality LCD panel[1], but apparently YMMV...
I'm still convinced it was an aberration, but yes, a lousy one :-) I've purchased 5 of the Dell Ultrasharp 24" models (and a handful of older Dell monitors) and been happy with all of them. In a way of bringing the convo back at least somewhat on-topic, supposedly the Dell panels are from the same manufacturer as the Apple display / iMac panels, so take that how you will.
Newer batches of Dell monitors at our workplace have a brown tint that one can't get rid of. The new REV A00 is noticeably different to old A04 or so. Quick googling revealed that warranty won't cover that, as Dell's calibration policy is quite loose. Tough luck. Otherwise they're great.