While Macs are good computers, for your price range you might consider Dell's Alienware line… They're designed for gamers, so the specs on these machines is more likely to support the apps you want to run. I just got an MX14, with an i7 quad core processor, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce 650, and a 750GB SSD for about $2000.00. A couple hundred of that went to an extended service plan, so you could get something comperable for around $1,500.00.
They're extremely well made. I've also got an Aurora R4 (desktop) that's amazing. You'll get far more bang for your buck with Alienware.
