OMG! Well if I wasn't convinced before, I am now. Thanks for the feedback. I am finding this most useful.
To answer a previous question, my main interest is DSOs. While I know the greater aperture of newts is useful in this regard, my prior assumption that large aperture was a prereq is now shattered.
I have also spent the morning at one of the local astro shops (Sirius Optics). At the risk of taking the thread completely off-topic, I am now going to look at 80-100 EDs in a little more detail. One thing I like about them is the portability and the reduced storage space (something the "Minister for the Interior" is also interested in!).
Sirius have an 80ED with EQ5 GOTO mount for $3240. Only one of the 2 lenses in the doublet are actually ED glass, but allegedly it is pretty good. Anybody able to comment on this or equivalent gear?