Here is my input- from experience -
I would check out
www.meade.com
I would then look at their beginner telescopes- not that cheap $100 crap that wont really help you at all.... but something like the
Meade ETX-90EC (325 x 90mm) Telescope
http://www.meade.com/etx_premier/index.html
This will allow you to select an object and it will auto point to that object in the sky. All that you really need to know is where the North Star is....and you're golden.
If you purchase this, you will have hundreds of hours of mind melting cosmic experiences. You will see all of messier objects in this hemisphere.
If you purchase one of the cheaper models- that doesnt have auto track star features....you MAY be able to find some basic stuff like planets, and orion nebula, Andromeda galaxy and so forth. But finding star clusters and other galaxies will be VERY difficult and require a very experienced observer to pinpoint stars and locations and constellations and manually find the objects you are seeking. It will become difficult too much that you will want to check things out less and less.
With the auto star tracker....you can check out so many objects- you will feel like the king of the universe.
I live in the congested light pollution - new york area. Not upstate where the stars are intense...but in severely crippled areas with too much pollution. my buddy is a star master- and even in this condition- we can manually find about 20'ish objects on a good night. We dont have the auto tracker- but he is the star master- so its not "needed" - one day when I want to get more serious myself, I will get an EXT model or similiar....and open up a new world of exploration
Hope that helps
