[AhhChoo]

AppleCare for the MacBook Pro is $349, not $579.
That's Apple's list price. You should be able to purchase it for AT LEAST $100 less by checking around. AppleCare for my Powerbook Aluminum was also listed at $349, but I scored one from a seller on eBay for $225.
My Powerbook's hard drive failed after a year and a half, and AppleCare covered its replacement. After I phoned AppleCare regarding the hard drive failure, they sent a shipping box to me via DHL, I packed my Powerbook and had DHL pick it up. They sent my Powerbook to Apple's repair facility in Texas via overnight delivery from the west coast. Apple replaced the hard drive the next day and sent out the Powerbook via overnight delivery that same evening and I got my Powerbook back, fully functional again, the next morning. The entire process took just three days....the service was truly outstanding.
I'd say that AppleCare for a 'Book makes good sense; notebooks, in general, are more likely to encounter problems than desktop units, since their parts are miniaturized and their guts are jammed together in a tight space. And with MacBook Pros' tendency to run hot, their innards are under a lot of heat related stress.
IMHO, AppleCare for a MacBook Pro is money well spent.