All these designs have the same purpose, to collect light and bring it to a point of focus so it can be magnified and examined with an eyepiece, but each design does it differently. All designs can perform satisfactorily if properly and responsibly manufactured and all have their own special virtues. Choosing a particular telescope depends on your individual needs including cost, portability, versatility, usability, appearance, etc. You should also contemplate what you plan to do with the instrument both now and in the future.
Many amateurs own two or more telescopes to satisfy their varied interests.
Some amateur astronomers build their own telescopes but this market has rapidly declined due to the abundance of affordable commercial telescopes available and the time, materials and equipment needed to hand-construct an instrument. We will briefly discuss the most popular types of telescopes and describe advantages and disadvantages of each. Advantages Easy to use and reliable due to the simplicity of design. Little or no maintenance. Excellent for lunar, planetary and binary star observing especially in larger apertures.