RE: difference between belted and geared helis
The torque tube drives use less power and doesn't require periodic adjustment. Its a little harder to set up to get the gear mesh correct but once you're done your done.
Belt drives are more forgiving. Bump the tail on a torque tube and you're replacing gears, crash and your replacing the drive along with the usual crash parts where belts rarely break in a crash.
For a beginner, get the belt drive.