Tal 2m or Explorer 150/200?

Hi,

I'm a newcomer to Astronomy but have used binoculars on and off over the
years and read a few books because it's a subject that has always interested
me.

I'm interested in buying a first telescope and have a budget of up to around
£400. I am interested in a telescope that will enable me to view planets
and deep sky objects in reasonable quality and am quite keen to use the
scope for photography via digicam.

I have spent a bit of time considering what to buy. I live on the outskirts
of a Surrey town in a small modern close. Unfortunately I do not have
unobstructed views in all directions due a neigbours trees down the side of
my back garden and of course my and others houses. I havce a fairly
unobstructed sky at the front of my house but am not sure if I will look a
bit daft to the odd passer by (it's a quiet residential cul de sac!)

I'm trying to decide between say a Tal 2m (£400) or the Skywatcher 150
(£350) or possibly the Skywatcher 200 newt (£430) and which is around £535
if motorised and I suspect it would need to be for astrophotography.

I also like the idea of go-to and connecting my scope to a laptop to drive
it while sitting in the comfort of the lounge viewing things but am unsure
if either of these scopes could ever be adaped to such use and in fact for
that you're into buying a Meade or CRestron SCT and a whole lot more
budget!

I'd really welcome views on which if any of the above would seem to be the
best option. How much difference is there on say views of Mars between the
Tal and the 8" Skywatcher? Would you want to drag any of them around from
the back garden to the front? Am I better to set one up in my relatively
secure back garden and leave it there permanently? - maybe chained up and
covered?

Interested in views from the experts out there. I am keen to buy a scope
that I won't grow frustrated with due to poor views and have been somewhat
spoiled by seeing what a Meade LX90 8" can do!

Many thanks,

Jon


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