Hi Chris,
Like others have said, the best scope is the one you will use the most.
Both are like apples and oranges for comparison. The 12" is a beast to lug/transport around, make no bones about it. Probably not so much in weight (although the base could be a tad heavy), but just awkard. The good thing though, its literally just 2 pieces.
I'd consider a 10" dob - a minor compromise to the 12" dob, but practicality wise, probably more manageable.
For the price of a 10 or 12" dob, with the $1000 left over you should considerthe Argonavis. It will locate objects for you, the only difference being, you then need to manually move the the scope yourself based on co-ordinates....more of a push to than a goto.
Cheers,
Norm