Dave, I agree about plenty of RAM and SSD are more important now than processor. I suggest since you like thinkpad searching ebay for thinkpad SSD and buying one in the range you want to spend.
For all the high-end software you are going to use, seems like you should just get a home desktop with a bigger monitor. Programming on a laptop screen sounds awful.
Laptop screens go up to 17 inches, with both HD and non-HD resolutions available at that size. That is something else to look for if you are doing serious work on a laptop. Seeing a 15 and 17 side-by-side, the extra size really makes a difference. Might be better for your posture and eyes too! I am not sure going with the HD 17 inch is worth it over the regular one however.
I have also purchased several custom computers from cyberpowerpc.com, based in inland empire. What is nice about them is they use brand-name internal parts and disclose what they are, and you can customize the PCs far more than Dell allows. Prices are somewhat better too.
