In addition to choosing a telescope, you will also be choosing a mount , a set of axes which allow the telescope to point to all parts of the sky. The type of mount you choose will affect the ease of operation of your telescope, but as with telescopes, there is no one type that is best. Visual observations require no electricity. However, since the Earth turns, the object being observed will slowly drift out of view unless the telescope is continually adjusted. A telescope with an equatorial mount may be equipped with an electric clock drive which will perform this adjustment automatically, but the mount must be set for your latitude and lined up with North in order for this to work.
Telescopes vary in price, depending on the style, size, and quality.
If you want to pay less to look at the sky, get a good pair of binoculars, rather than a cheap telescope. Binoculars are portable and easily adaptable to other uses, should you tire of astronomy. There are very few telescope stores in most towns, although some camera stores also carry a few telescopes. Most telescopes are purchased by mail order, from dealers in California or on the East Coast. With a proper camera and photographic accessories many telescopes can be used for photography.