Sounds like the consensus is an 8-10" Dob which is a great choice. I started off with a el-cheapo 60mm Tasco refractor bought as an Xmas present from Cash Converters. I had many hours of enjoyment with it and was able to "glimpse" some surface details of Mars back during the '99 poor opposition.
I then wanted to upgrade and I was orginally going to get one of those 114mm reflectors but I was soon persuaded to get something bigger. I didn't want a full on mount, nor GOTO so I kept my eyes on an 8" scope. I eventually got around to buying the 8" just before the 2001 Mars opposition. While the dob doesn't have tracking, I actually took some nice shots of Mars (and eventually Jupiter and Saturn) using an old 1970's model SLR camera I picked up for around $100 at Cash Converters. I eventually moved on to the Phillips Toucam which has produced better shots of the planets.
The "new addition to the family" is my Tal 200K on an EQ6 mount. While the Tal 200K has the same aperature as my Dob, it shows a lot more detail (better contrast) compared to the Dob. A digital SLR camera is next on the list.
Anyways, I highly recommend the 8" Dob as I still use it today and plan to put it on the EQ6. I don't know how much of a difference a 10" makes over an 8" though.
Oh, just to add....while GOTOs are great, there is always a sense of satisfaction when you find and identify a galaxy, globular cluster, nebulae etc by yourself
