I started out with a plain G-11 just with the manual setting circles. I then got digital setting circles and used it like that for a while. I then got lucky and bought a used Gemini setup and installed that. I was mainly using the mount with an 11" SCT. I couldn't really find anything with the manual setting circles with the 11". It got close, but at that focal length, it was pretty tough. I then put on the DSC's and it got easier, but with the mirror flop on the SCT, it still wasn't good enough. What I ended up doing was putting a TV-85 piggyback on the SCT and using that as a giant finder. That worked out well, since the refractor had no mirror flop, it would put everything just about dead center. I then switched over to the Gemini and that is really accurate. I mainly use it now for astrophotography with a 5" APO and it puts everything on my CCD chip. The nice thing about the Gemini is the Polar Axis Correction feature that gives me just about a perfect polar alignment.
It is true that you save $500 by buying the Gemini with the mount, but if you buy it seperate, you get to keep the old motors and controller which will come in handy in case your Gemini goes bad and needs to be fixed. I have kept my old motors as a back up, but so far have not needed them.
My other mount is a GP/DX with the Skysensor 2000PC. If I was going to get a small mount, I would get the GP/DX over the GM-8. The GP/DX tracks like a dream and the controller is a lot better than the Gemini. The only thing the Gemini beats it on is the Polar Axis Correction. But all these mounts are so expensive that you might as well just save a few more dollars and get the G11/Gemini. You will eventually put a bigger scope on it. It is not that much harder to setup, the pieces are just a little bigger and a little heavier, but it takes me just as much time to setup either one. For visual, my GP/DX will handle the C11 just fine, it just needs a ton of counter weight.
I normally leave the G11 tripod setup in the house with one leg loose. To bring it outside, I take off the loose leg and carry the tripod setup with two legs on it and then just put the third leg on which saves a lot of time in setting it up. I leave the 22lbs counter weight outside so I don't have to carry that every time. I built an observatory last year and the G11 is in there all the time now
http://www.pbase.com/panotaker/absurdvatory
Ralph