Telescope in Aldi - good as a gift?

[boogaloo]

hi all,

just noticed that Aldi have a telescope for €49.99 on sale on Sunday. I have NO clue about telescopes, what they should have etc., but my boyfriend would have an interest and I'm considering getting one for him for Christmas.
Could anyone advise whether the aldi one is good/has all the good stuff or not? He's not that interested in star gazing that I'd spend much more than say, 100 euro tops on a telescope, but for 50 quid if the aldi one was ok then I'd go for it.

What do you think?

 

[ClubMan]

Usually when these offers come up the people in the know recommend that you would be better off buying a telescope within your budget from the likes of [broken link removed] rather than buying something that is more of a toy (nothing specifically against the likes of Lidl/Aldi but it's often the case that telescopes sold by large retailers are simply not up to serious use).

 

[Decani]

Or get a good pair of binoculars. Especially if just starting off. Having said that, if you've got €50 lying around then you've nothing to loose.

 

[Grumpy]

Have a look at astroshop.biz.
It will give you an idea of the market.
Eur50 is very little for a telescope and, as already indicated, a cheap pair of bimoculars may do.
You may be better off getting him something else as a fair degree of knowledge is neccessary.Quality of len is very important, so reputation of manufacturer is key.
However, if he`s a beginner, Eur50 to Aldis won`t go far wrong.
Know anyone travelling from the States?Buy for half the price.Kmart do them.

 

[boogaloo]

thanks for the input. I haven't purchased it yet, but I am tempted alright. It does state on the box that it is not a toy, and it doesn't look too plasticky....

I've looked at the astrology Ireland website and its definitely too pricey for what is really only a 'he might like it' present. However, the spec of the aldi one does compare favourably to the cheaper ones on the astrology site.....

Did anyone buy one?