I am a firm believer in putting in the effort and doing some research. ALE's guide is getting worn out I use it so much.
Getting advice is great, but far better to know WHY I chose the maker/model I did, than to just get it because someone told me to.
Besides, that's half the fun - doing the discovery, scouring the TDs, chatting with them and ultimately making the purchase confident you made the right decision.
Im relatively new here too, and I get that it can be daunting, all those #s and versions - but there really is no substitute for a little hard work - I guess when you have that mentality it really become a hobby. Just my 2c.