I thought that was pretty obvious: in that way I can easily keep
objects centered with a low slew speed.

The best times I had with the ETX-125 I had were when I didn't bother turning
the thing on, not a great manual alt-az mount, but workable. And its much
quieter, that constant chipping of the motors disturbs breaks the quiet,
something I much enjoy about spending time under the night sky.

But as Paul says, the best thing about the ETX is the GOTO so there are better
choices for non-powered use.

jon