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Hi John
Well if quick set up is your thing, then Skywatcher reigns over the Meade.
I beat a Meade user (who had their scope next to the boot of the car and mine was 50m away) by 10 minutes in the tear down process.
Unscrewing the trusses, storing them etc is a "bit" fiddly, especially when the Skywatcher is 3 grub screws, slide, take out the tension handles and carry the tube separately to the base.....done.
Although, if space is a premium, the Meade front cage is separated from the main tube allowing for storage separately to the main tube, whereas the Skywatcher is retracted to about 75% of its extended length (about 1m for a 12" version) meaning it can be a squeeze to store it in the car.
Like I said, drop into Bintel and see what you think of both. Certainly the Skywatcher is one sexy looking thing, but as its normally dark when you use it, not so important.
Good luck with the decision, if you see a 16" one there, you will see just how big it is compared to a 12"
Again, if its grab and go to a dark site, then a $749 SW 10" collapsible is a steal from Andrews and will be able to see many a galaxy and sets up/tears down in no time....save the $350 (compared to a Meade 12") and put it towards a light shroud for extra contrast and dew protection or something else...
Cheers
Chris
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