[Miaplacidus (Brian)]

I'm not sure what purpose is served by this poll. Surely the only people who are qualified to give an informed opinion are those who have owned both brands. As far as I can see, Meade and Celestron have been going neck and neck for years, each mainly trying to trump the other. Like cars and guitars and operating systems, once you've discounted personal prejudice, surely you're left with the obvious answer "the best scope is the next scope". At any given moment there is never a lot in it. (I don't think Celestron's are any "rougher" than Meade's: what do you base that on? Optically I think they are pretty much identical, and mechanically I suspect Celestron's presently have a slight edge... Basically, if the prices and portability were much the same, then I'd base my decision on aperture alone.)

In the end, if you want the best scope, then wait forever. Otherwise buy one and prove everyone else wrong by using it and getting the most fun out of it.