Mark Carroll's Journal

I was taking a look at what reasonable but cheap telescopes exist these days. Some of the marketing is funny, e.g., the SkyWatcher Evostar range is probably better for objects rather nearer to us than stars. Among the first things I noticed in looking at Celestron's products was how many modern telescopes now come wireless-enabled with apps to control them. I would be less sure of finding them still usable decades later, compared with say, my father's refractor from the 1960s.

I would also be sceptical of software quality partly because, back when I worked on software used by professionals who pay many thousands of pounds for their microscopes, it was clear that the microscope hardware was often of far better quality than the software with which the manufacturers lumbered their users. Goodness knows I am not easygoing when it comes to user experience, hence my grumbling ever since smart telephones and televisions became dominant, so I am cautious when it comes to buying software-dependent products.