Dobsonians are great scopes, even the "dumb" ones (no electronics, no motors).
There are essentially three tiers of increasing capability/complexity/cost:
- Bare: no electronics, no motors. (video: Why Dobsonians are Great Scopes).
- Push-To: no motors, but encoders and a computer. The computer will help you Push To a target object. It will not track
- GoTo: electronics and motors. Your hand controller or app will allow you to command the scope to GoTo an object and track it. (video: GoTo Dobsonians: the Everything Scope?)
All dobsonian types can be pushed to a celestial target without requiring power or an electronic interface. This ability to use the scope without having to rely on electronics is important. If you're out of power or the electronics are misbehaving, you can still have a great night of observing. Some other types of scopes (mounts) are dead-in-the-water without power.
Electronics and motors, while they provide increased capability, do have a learning curve. Some are easy to learn and reliable and some are far more complicated.
Some manufacturers sell "Push-To Dobsonians". Orion's Intelliscope series are relatively inexpensive Push-To's. Many "bare" dobsonians can be upgraded with aftermarket encoders and DSC (Digital Setting Circles) kits. See Add-on Kits