re: Macbook Pro questions

If you're doing any sort of video rendering or graphics beyond basic Photoshop, you're going to need a solid processor and a discrete GPU. On-board graphics are really a pain when doing that sort of work. Be careful, though, as many MacBook Pros with discrete GPUs have had issues in some form. The unibody design doesn't lend well to GPUs due to insufficient heat dissipation. That said, if you do get their high-end models, they have some juice in them. You just need to be wary of the heat of the machine and keep your eyes open. Also, get AppleCare. Apple's finally replacing my Late-2011 MBP after a year and a half of it acting as a $3000 paper weight, but if I'd have just got extended AppleCare, I could have just dealt with it immediately. Obviously, your machine will probably be fine, but the repairs for mine without it were quoted at $600-700 bucks, which is why I waited.

In this situation, go for the top end systems and get AppleCare if you're committed to moving to a Mac.