I've just been through the process that you've gone through, having bought my first telescope about two months ago, so I thought I'd share my thoughts.
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The most important advice:
1. As discussed earlier, go to a club and look through lots of scopes.
2. Buy binoculars and a star chart: start observing. It's amazing what you'll see with a cheap pair of binoculars.
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On buying a telescope:
Selecting a telescope is a compromise between time, space and money.
Reflectors/dobsonians eat up time and space.
Cassegrains eat up time and money.
Refractors eat up money. Lots of it.
What you chose will depend on the compromises you are willing to make.
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Some links I found useful:
http://www.howtopickatelescope.com/
http://www.scopereviews.com/
http://www.telescopereviews.com/
www.first-telescope.com