First of all, let me welcome you to the forum! You'll get lots of good opinions here

As to the different types of stands, there are many ideas on this so I'll jump in and give you mine.

Ladder Stands - Great on your own property or someplace you have exclusive hunting rights. These are usually heavy and take some time to set up. If you use rubber gloves to eliminate scent when setting them up, and get them up early enough in the season, the deer will walk right under the ladder by the time the season opens. All you have to do is be sure not to leave any scent at ground level. These are very sturdy and are great if you are trying to get kid into hunting since they make two person models. Not the most versitle since they go up 15' or something and that's it. No lower, no higher.

Fixed Stands - Again, great for someplace you have exclusive hunting rights if you want to set them up and forget about them. Also good for setting up on a whim if your tree isn't the straightest... like most on my property. Usually lighter than a climber, but you also have to carry strap on tree steps, a climbing stick, or something like Bucksteps by Summit Inc. I love these on my property since they come cheap and I could invest in a few for the future. (Right now, this is the only type of stand I own and I only have one). Usually can be comfortable and quiet since there are few moving parts. Also, quiet getting up and down if you set up the steps right.

Climbing stands - The ultimate in portability. For big guys, these can be a bit scary at first of if you get the wrong one. In my opinion, great for those weekend hunting trips or trips to public land. You can pack them in, climb, descend and pack them out. You can't leave them out and I think many people make the mistake of leaving too much scent on the ground while trying to set them up. Many models are relatively quiet, but this sometimes takes some practice on the part of the user. These are usually the most expensive.

My advise: Sit down, plan where / when / how often you plan on setting up a stand. If it's more than once a week, I'd tend to lean toward a climber if you have the trees for it. If not, a fixed. If you own the land or have exclusive rights, I'd favor the fixed / ladder unless you plan on moving them often. I am setting up a stand for the first time this year (a little late since it's a week into the season here). I made sure to pick a place that I could use for both shotgun hunting and bow. I don't plan on moving it until the season ends, and I think a fixed will be best. (Good thing since that's what I have).

Also be sure to take budget into account. Money doesn't grow on trees, so try to get a setup that works with for as many different situations you can.

Good luck, and above all -- BE SAFE! Wear the safety harness while in a tree. It's the cheapest insurance you'll have!