They give great general viewing of all sky objects and are easily adapted for astrophotography. They have many peripheral devices available and can often be computerized quite easily. Great for viewing all objects in the sky. They provide good aperture and magnification. They are compact and relatively easy to move about.
Abundant peripherals make it easy to dabble in astrophotography or computerization.
The main feature to look for in all telescope mounts is that it is sturdy and stable. The simplest by far to operate is the alt-azimuth mount. They are also the least expensive. The drawback is that they cannot be motorized to track the stars, so telescopes with this type of mount must be constantly adjusted. They are also difficult to use for astrophotography.