Mike,
Ouch! I feel bad for you. You might as well just get it fixed even at that price, because it's a great camera, and another one to replace it will cost more.
Maybe you want to save up for the new Nikon D200, due out soon. That is really tempting me! My camera (D100, 3+ years) won't last forever with close to a hundred thousand shots logged on it (how long do these mechanical shutters last anyway?). Even the D70 is an upgrade from the D100 (better imaging algorithms)!
To Molly: Sorry about your problem too. Is yours simply a dust spot problem (and not a dead pixel problem)? That is common to all DSLR's. I have been there, cleaning mine many times. This is extremely risky business so you are right to have it professionally done.
One thing I learned the hard way: Never change a lens in Arizona!!!! I never saw such a dirty capture chip. (It's way too dusty in Arizona
)
Best wishes,
Garth