you might also want to look at the bikes on unrealcycles.com. ben, who runs the place, can put together something for your price range and he is one of the most knowledgable people i have spoke with. he will take the time to explain everything to you and also make sure you are happy with what you are purchasing. plus, he offers a 3 year warranty on most of his products and will sell you a replacement at a heavily discounted price if something breaks. i definitely think the p series will fit your bill too. they are burly and ride nicely. i test rode one before settling on a full custom build of a planet x jack flash rad (which i need to post pictures of). i know some of the lowerend marzocchi forks have had issues being on wrong bikes which are marketed for "abusive riding" even though the fork might not be strong enough. mainly the exr comp that i have seen/heard stories about. i was impressed with the 2003 p2 that i rode. if your limit is $1500, you definitely have a lot of options from specialized to norco to kona to even a custom build. you could also try to get a 2003 bike at a lower price if an lbs is trying to move old stock. just make sure that the bike you end up getting has enough seatpost extension if you plan to use it on trail rides. i am 5'5" and my bike has more than enough extension, but that is do in part to me being smaller too.