When Meade first introduced the ETX (short for Everyone's Telescope), astronomers "in the know" created such overwhelming demand that the scopes were almost impossible to get.  Several years later, those new to astronomy are just beginning to discover the Meade ETX Telescope while serious astronomers still flock to it as the ideal ultra-portable scope in their collection.

Choosing an ETX is easy.

You'll understand more about the various types and sizes of telescopes as your knowledge of astronomy increases.  But instead of worrying how to pronounce Maksutov-Cassegrain, rest assured that there's not a telescope on the market with a better track record of converting budding astronomers into full-fledged ones than the Meade ETX series telescopes.  Sky & Telescope Magazine predicted the ETX would "grow the hobby in a way heretofore unimagined."  And so far, it has.  Once you decide on the ETX, you need to choose the aperture that best suits your needs.  In general terms, you will want all the aperture you can afford.  But aperture isn't everything.  For outrageously simple portability, you can't beat a 90mm ETX-PE.