The pricing my be different in other parts of the world, but here is my suggestion.  For that amount of money, you should be able to get a PM G4 1.42DP or a PM G5 1.8.  Some software (Aperture, damn you Apple) will only run on a G5 or higher, but I still say for a thousand US bucks, the MDD 1.42DP is still a best buy.  You may even find one loaded up for that cost.  It is also more room for upgrades.  Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

By the way, as for US dealers, http://www.macofalltrades.com has great pricing and decent service.