Thank you all for your replies, they have been very helpful. I will probably just wait and save up for a Celestron. I should have picked a less expensive hobby, but I'm hooked now. :) Speaking of expensive, I have been having a lot of fun pointing out things to my two older kids (4 and 6), but they have a difficult time with anything that is not obvious (they can find Venus, Orion, and Jupiter, but not Saturn). I have heard a lot of different opinions regarding the green laser pointer as a tool for pointing out stars. If they are as good as some people say it seems like it would be a perfect tool for making sure my kids and I are both looking at the same stars, and also handy for youth groups, and in general pointing things out for non-astronomers. Do any of you know if they are they as easy to see as advertised? I would hate to fork out $90 (they range from $60 to $160 but there seem to be reputable dealers at $90) only to find out that the beam did not help my kids at all. Thanks again, Aaron