I would lean to a Dobsonian mounted Newtonian as well (Dob). There is no real need for a tracking mount unless you are heading towards astrophotography in the short term. For visual use a large aperture Dob in the 12 inch plus areas will give you magnificent views and is easily achievable on your budget with some left over for decent eyepieces. The new collapsible 12 inch Dobs are a fantastic bit of kit.
If you want to go down the imaging path then i would go for a secong hand EQ6 with an ED80 and DSLR to start out with. When the EQ8 mounts come onto the market possibly later this year expect a fair few second hand EQ6 mounts to hit the market.
Oh and by the way, welcome to the nut house
