The Orion XT6 is now $230: http://www.telescope.com/control/cat...1/~VIEW_SIZE=9

An 'astronomical' bargain. With a 6" dob, you get enough aperature to see all the Messier objects + a lot more (and in some detail in the brighter objects), as well as a very stable dobsonian mount - no issues with stability here. Also, a dob is very easy to set up and use. IMO hands down the best all around beginner scope out there.

So:

Pros:
LOTS of aperature for the $
VERY stable dobsonian mount - this is every bit as important as optics, maybe even more so
EASY to set up - no worries about polar alignment, etc.
EASY to use - no knobs to fiddle with, simply nudge the scope with your hand to track objects - it is not difficult at all

Cons:
Little or no potential for astrophotography - dunno if this is really a con, it's not recommended for newbies to get into astrophotography right away anyways due to the very steep learning curve and need for specialized equipment
No auto tracking - A dob is strictly a manual tracking mount - though I've had no problems with this
Difficult to track objects at higher magnifications - Again, not really an issue, as the magnifications I've had trouble with are very rare, since the atmosphere will limit you to 150X or so maximum on the majority of nights anyways.

For further info, this is an absolute must read: http://scopereviews.com/begin.html

Here is a pertinent excerpt (though you should read the whole page):

This is a tough one to answer, since everyone has their own priorities and
preferences. Still, knowing what I know, if I were starting out today, I
would probably get a 6" or 8" Dobsonian-mounted reflector. The fact that
I am something of a "refractor guy" says a lot about this choice.

A 6" Dobsonian is simple, cheap, and will teach you a lot. The simplicity part
is important, since you will spend your time aiming and observing with your
telescope, rather than playing around with the sometimes complicated controls
on an equatorial mount.

Beginners need early success, and the 6" or 8" aperture is big enough to throw
up a bright image of most common celestial objects

EDIT: D'oh! Just realized how old this thread is...