I've always been a reflector man, I've owned a 100mm f/4, a 150mm f/6,
and a 200mm f/5, all rich field instruments, and I enjoyed them very much, although transporting the last two by automobile to dark sites was inconvenient due to heavy equatorial mounts and large, delicate tubes. I now live in a light-polluted urban area, so I have acquired an inexpensive equatorial 100mm f/6 refractor from Orion which I am very happy with and is easy to transport. Although a deep sky enthusiast, the conditions I work under make that impractical, so I have opted for the portability and sharper images of a fast refractor. It also allows me full versatility for my eyepieces, my 25, 18, 12.5, 9 and 6mm oculars and a 2x tele-extender allow me to fully exploit the magnification range of the instrument, from 24x to 200x. I also have a 32mm Erfle for spectacular views of the Milky Way. I am very pleased with it. My only upgrade to the scope was a 9x50 finder. It came with an inadequate 6x30.

The motor drive is an option for this telescope, but unnecessary. Once aligned, I have had no problem tracking even at 300x (I also have a 3x tele-extender which I use only for double stars. You can always add a motor later if you like.

As far as computer controls, I do not care for them. Half the pleasure of locating a faint object is learning to use a finder and a good Atlas. Real visual astronomers do not need no stinkin' computer assistance.

I recommend you check out OrionTelescopes.com, they have a nice selection at reasonable prices, and they offer excellent service and support.