Thanks John, those were my exact thoughts. I read these forums ALLOT, including cloudynights and heaps of reviews whenever I can and you guys helped lots in deciding what to get. I think that I know now a fair deal now about pros and cons of different designs for both optics and mounts but in terms of real observing experience, not so much. With that said, I didn't know what to expect in terms of views so I thought that a good zoom would help. Additionally, I live in a place where it can get VERY cold so chunky eyepieces that sit well in my hand feel safer. Hopefully one day I'll fill up the empty space with some nice items... if I ever decide to get a nicer diagonal, herschel prism, binoviewer or a better finder... anything that I want to keep in good condition really.