Hi Kana,
Welcome to Ice in Space
Yes, you could get a non-goto 12" Skywatcher dob (no motors or tracking) for $1500, but if that is your budget, I would HIGHLY suggest the Orion 10" GOTO Intelliscope from Bintel here
http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/...oductview.aspx
It is $1499, and 10" to 12" inches difference isnt much, BUT the convenience and tracking of GOTO and sky tours and push a button to find an object cant be beaten.
I know, I spent $1500 on a manual Skywatcher collapsible dob that didnt have goto, and while the views were great, the drudgery of finding things in light polluted skies was a pain. I sold it and bought an eq mounted 8" tube and havent looked back (for visual and astrophotography)
That Orion 10" goto (solid tube) dob I linked is a STEAL for $1499 and will probably be a scope you will keep for many many years.
That's my learned opinion
Cheers
Chris