Ok, so I'm now looking into the MacBook Pro 15 after some helpful tips from this thread and talking to the Apple Store.
Looking at this one...can get a nice MacBook Pro (2013)refurb for around $1000
- 15.4-inch LED-backlit Retina display with IPS technology; 2880x1800 resolution
- 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz
- PC3-12800 (1600MHz) DDR3L on-board memory
- 8.0 GB RAM /240G Built-in flash storage
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics with 1.0GB GDDR5 memory and HD Graphics 4000 with 384MB DDR3 shared memory
- AirPort Extreme wireless card (802.11n)
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Built-in FaceTime HD camera
- 2- Thunderbolt ports
- 1- HDMI port
- 2- USB 3.0 ports
- 1- Secure Digital (SDXC) slot
Hoping this should work.