I have to admit Apple's 27" LED Cinema Display is a mighty nice one, and comes with the MDP connector you'll need to use with a new MBP. The closest alternative I would recommend would be one of Dell's UltraSharp displays, but those are about $200 more than Apple's, and you'd probably need an adapter cable.
Now, in Dell's defense, you will get a host of other inputs on the monitor, whereas Apple's will be just the one. With the Dell you'll likely get 2xDVI, 1xHDMI, 1xDisplayPort, and 1xComponent/Composite. Dell also typically has a 4-port USB hub in their monitors, I think Apple is 3, though I haven't had a chance to look at any of the newer Thunderbolt enabled Cinema Displays.
Both monitors are considered to be "higher than full HD" meaning resolutions higher than 1920x1080, and they're LED backlit IPS panels which will make for a nice, crisp, and vibrant color display.
They're a touch pricey at about $1000 and $1200 respectively, but anything less is a complete waste at 27". Don't think you even find much else above 23" anymore.
I purchased a macBook Pro 15" which I plan to use as a desktop when not traveling. I'm looking for just the right and "right priced" 27" LED Monitor to connect it to when using it as a desktop. Any suggestions?

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