17-inch and 20-inch versions were available with Intel Core Duos right from the start. I have two.
Cracked screen 'eh? Sounds like a perfect candidate for a UniMac conversion... I plan to install one of the high resolution displays to my display-less 17-inch Core 2 Duo model when the funds become available. Not as cheap as finding a donor unit or a second hand replacement screen, but certainly more reliable and still 3x cheaper than Apple's base price for a 17-inch LCD replacement.