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This is sort of like the chicken or the egg question.
For me having a great mount is a necessity right from the start. The mount provide the stability in high wind no matter whether you are in a dome, shed or open air. Worth the investment. I remember Peter Ward always saying the mount is everything and I agree. If you can buy either an AP, SB or Planewave mount.
So then is a dome worth it? Having both a roll off roof (automated) and a dome (currently being commissioned) these are my observations. The roll off roof is the easiest to automate. The ROR does not have to rotate and be synchronised via software which can be glitchy. However, it does expose everything to the open air and little wind protection if you have 1800mm high walls.
Domes on the other had afford protection from the wind, some dew control and look cool, but are a pain to automate correctly, show people what is in your yard and can act like a chimney. Although this last point depends on how much heat protection the dome gives (its wall thickness and painted surfaces make a huge difference here).
For me the ROR was the easiest to setup and work with. The dome system I bought into is good, has better wall thickness than the aussie one, good online backup, excellent automation equipment, but can be pain to get working in 64bit environment.
So I reckon get the mount first, then the permanent protection.
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