And binoculars are not only good for beginners, but experienced amateurs will find a new interest in the night sky using binoculars. Their ease of use and ready portability are an unbeatable combination for anyone. Central obstructions definitely deteriorate telescopic performance. Again, reflectors can be made large in aperture less expensively than refractors. A lot of sins can be covered with a large aperture, so if the view is satisfactory, go with it.
Equatorial mounts are a virtual necessity.
Quite the contrary, equatorial mounts are a necessity only if you are doing long exposure astrophotography. Witness the explosion of Dobsonian mounted scopes. Amateurs have discovered the virtues of alt-az mounts, even if some of the gurus of our hobby haven t. Already, I m finding myself observing more. Virtually every clear night I find myself in the yard viewing the moon, a planet, double stars, and large, bright clusters and nebulae.