A good move would be two FW800 ports, not taking the FW400 out without using the spot for something else. With two FW800 ports, you could just plug your MFB on one port, your external FW800 HD on another, and work.
On my end, I'm a white macbook user ( didn't have the money to move to the MBP, and won't for a while, which is usually true for new photographers in 3rd world countries such as Brazil, which is where I live ), and I use the FW400 port a lot. I would have loved to see it replaced by a FW800 port on the new MacBook, but not simply taken away.
I think this is a move backwards. Better graphics, more style, but less punch than expected, for more $$$.