I personally don't have a cast iron one, but yes, that is what the Chinese
originally used before carbon steel became more popular. For an all-purpose
wok, I think the carbon steel one is much more versatile, but I would think
the cast-iron wok one would be absolutely fantastic for deep frying due to
the weight and ability to hold onto heat.

>One man said his took too long to heat up and it stayed hot
> for too long after he was done cooking and the vegetables turned to
> mush!!!

My problem with a cast-iron wok is too EVEN cooking (I would think). The
way I stirfry is, I use the hotspot at the bottom of my wok, then when I'm
ready for the next ingredient, I push the food up towards the sides of my
wok where it's nice and cool, then stir it back in when I'm ready for it
again. Maybe that's what that man had a problem with. With a cast iron
wok, you would have to take everything out of the wok to prevent
overcooking. And since it's so heavy, it would be a pain to lift the wok.

> how about the aluminum anodized ones that cost anywhere from $50 to
> $150.What kind of results do they produce ????

I had a fancy Calphalon hard anodized aluminum wok prior to the carbon steel
wok one that I have now, and the results are decent, but you would get about
the same type or problem that the cast-iron would get - too even cooking.
Also, you don't get that "wok chi" flavor in your food! I got a traditional
carbon steel wok after a friend of mine completely scorched food at the
bottom of my Calphalon wok (and it was too difficult to clean it) and I've
never had regrets about the carbon wok. Like you, I also did a lot of
research on wok materials prior to buying it, and I'm completely happy with
my purchase. The only thing that I think the Calphalon is better for is
steaming, but only because you wouldn't need to worry about the seasoning.