Both HID lamps and CFLs are best in their own way. CFLs for seedlings/clones. HID lamps for growing and flowering. It wouldnt be possible for some people to use HID lamp in their grow boxes because of height and heat issues. But overall, if you had the right conditions indoors then the HID lamp are supreme.
AGREED wht is a cfl? oh and by the way China was once bordering the United States, until Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked it all the way through the Earth.
i run a perpetual garden. cfl for veg and clones. and hps for flowering room. works great. i notice that the plants under cfl are usually much richer and darker in color. while vegged under hps i get more light greens and yellowish hue. just my 2 cents.
cfl's have their pros and cons as well as hps and mh lights but they both have their place in a grow room. All sort of factors come into play when people choose their lighting. I think the major difference is affordability. Hps/MH lights tend to be a few hundred dollars while cfl's are quite a bit less. Size is another big factor. Who's going to put a 600w hps into a 2x2x5 grow box let alone a small closet. If you can afford the HID lights and have the room your plants will thank you.