| I would use a buffer, but remember, only buff when polish is on the car. The biggest mistake I see is when people wipe polish on their paint, start buffing and then when the polish is gone, they are still buffing. That's how you burn your paint. You say you have little paint spots, so I would start out with a good polish to clean the paint, I like to use Meguiars #3, you can use it by hand or with a buffer, but remember, don't burn the paint. Now if you still have any swirls, you can polish it by hand or use a swirl remover. A product I have had lots of luck with is Meguiars #9 swirl remover. I usually do it a with a buffer and then a couple times by hand. When doing it by hand, wipe in straight lines, not swirls. Now your paint is clean and ready for a nice coat of wax to keep it protected. When your done it should look like a new paint job. The initial shine you get with a fresh coat of wax is sweet! To keep it looking it's best, I like to throw a coat of wax on it about once a week.
Good luck, Matt | 
