I have the first gen Core Duo MBP 17" glossy, and a couple of months ago it got bumped off my desk at home while running, hit the floor... screen got smashed. I called AppleCare, they said accidental damage is not covered, and quoted me $1240 plus $100 labor for them to replace the display. No idea if a newer MBP would be higher cost or not.
I thought about looking around on eBay or whatnot to buy another identical model, since the current 17" MBP hasn't yet been updated (or else I would just have bought a brand new MBP), and then thought that for my needs, an external display would be the better, and much cheaper solution. This way, when i do buy a shiny new MBP in 2009(?) I will still have an awesome external display that I can use with that MBP rather than having spent $$ on an old and outdated MBP that I would still replace within the next 8 - 12 months.
