My take on this is that the 17" MBP with the high res LED screen now becomes a true one machine option for folks not wanting to go the Mac Pro route, and wanting more than an iMac as a desktop unit. The ability to plug in another monitor has always been a great feature on the MBPs and even the PBs before that, as it does truly give one a lot of single machine capability. With the beefed up video, plus the speed bumps, these MBPs can easily become a single machine option. Add in all the external stuff, as Guy is suggesting, and you have a pretty complete and powerful workstation that is also portable without missing a beat.
I love having the G5 with dual monitors as my workstation, and will replace it with a Mac Pro soon, plus I need the laptop, so the 15" MBP is my solution there. If I did not have as much volume and spend as much time at both, I think the 17" MBP could be a single solution.....but still having that monitor for more workstation option. The 15" MBP could also be that single solution option too, but then the additional monitor becomes much more of a need than an option for doing things, IMHO.
LJ
I love having the G5 with dual monitors as my workstation, and will replace it with a Mac Pro soon, plus I need the laptop, so the 15" MBP is my solution there. If I did not have as much volume and spend as much time at both, I think the 17" MBP could be a single solution.....but still having that monitor for more workstation option. The 15" MBP could also be that single solution option too, but then the additional monitor becomes much more of a need than an option for doing things, IMHO.
LJ