Dual cores help, but quad cores won't bring significant improvement, unless you always run processor-heavy task, such as virus scanning, rendering 3D, encoding videos, and playing a recently released game all at the same time.
After you get 250 points (25 posts) you can go to the IBStore and buy a hosting item:
http://helionet.org/index/index.php?act=st...&category=1
After that, just fill out the info and you're set.
Yep, Intel Macs can run Windows software (not flawlessly) with some software. Mac OSX is not bugless, however. It has it's flaws just like every other operating system. How do I know? I work with them all the time.
Prices won't go down past a certain point, always out of the reach of "affordability". Piracy is all right when you plan on paying for it when you can, IMO.
Photoshop and GIMP, really all I've ever needed for 2D... ever. 3DS Max 8 allows you to create 3D renderings, and Adobe Premiere is great for video editing (both commercial). Corel Painter is great to use with a drawing tablet. That's all I can think of right now.