[EasyLOAD]

Here's another question for you. What exactly do you think you're going to see in a telescope?

I don't think a lot of people realize that most of what you see in the heavens is colorless, for example. Galaxies, globular clusters and nebulae mostly look like smudges and finding them is a challenging task. Finding open clusters is easier, but doesn't require any special telescope - even a pair of binoculars will do. Planets like Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will have color, but they won't have any detail unless they happen to be very close and/or you have a large telescope.

Things also move pretty quickly thanks to the Earth's rotation. Moreover, walking nearby or touching the telescope will cause things to get super shaky.

Basically, with your budget I would recommend a small, modest, reasonable-quality refractor or catadioptric (if you can afford it) on the best, heaviest-duty mount that you can fit in your budget. Alternately, consider a pair of binoculars. You can lie down on a lawn chair and enjoy remarkable starscapes.

Seriously, there's no shame in a 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain or a pair of 80mm binoculars. Sometimes, less really is more.

Also don't forget that telescopes need eyepieces, which can be very costly. Wide FOV for viewing open clusters and scarscapes and narrow FOV for magnification (planetary viewing). Don't go crazy with magnification - most telescopes cannot deliver any resolution at high magnification.

Check out Orion Telescopes. Decent-quality with lots of stuff from beginner to advanced.