Hi Norm.
I've never had a dob but I have had an LX200 8" and I loved it. It does have a larger central obstruction compared to a similar sized newt "as does the 10"" but it was a dream to use. Heavy though for a small scope. If you decide to get one I would highly recommend you build a "springy thingy" to help mounting the scope on the tripod. Same thing for the LX90.
For visual, a quick star check used to be all I needed to do (get a set of bobs knobs for ease of collimating) . IME I found the collimation quite forgiving for visual work. Bit different for imaging. More tweaking required.
Money no object
and I was looking for a similar thing again. No brainer for me, LX200.