The dobsonian with electronic setting circles would teach you plenty about the sky and be far more accurate. Early astronomers didn't have setting circles, they are a rather new invention. They always referenced their discoveries from other objects which were in turn referenced from other objects. The chain was fragile. This is why many objects in the NGC catalog and even some M objects are either unknown today or there's a big debate over what they were seeing. Take a look through the NGC project where an astronomer is trying to pin down each NGC object to what was really seen. It isn't easy. Early earthly surveyors using a rag tied to a wagon wheel were more accurate at surveying the earth than astronomers were trying to survey astronomical objects.

For a beginner an equatorial mount can be very confusing as some threads by beginners here will show. In some parts of the sky east is west and north is south, somes both are reversed at once. It can make it seem like you can't point the scope at the object you want to point it at. This is especially true with GEM mounts like you are considering. You have to flip the scope around doing what is called a "meridian flip" when you go from one side of the meridian to the other. This is fast and easy IF you know what you are doing. I've watched beginners in our club pick up their scope and turn it around totally blowing any polar alignment because they couldn't figure it out and wouldn't wait for one of us to help them.

Again even the equatorial mount is a rather new invention. Early astronomers had very crappy mounts, most being very difficult to use. How they did anything still amazes me. They'd have been in heaven with a dobsonian mount. Simple and elegant that can easily handle huge telescopes and move with just a light touch of the finger with perfect smoothness. But don't try to look a the zenith! They don't go there without extreme difficulty.

You really do need to find a local club and attend a few star parties. It will help you far more than anything else you can do.

Rick