diamond back response vote
i had a diamond back response. I used it for commuting and mountain riding. the altius components are not the best, but will perform well enough if given a little attention now and then. you might even learn a little bike maintenance while you are at it. my biggest complaint about the response was the single wall rims it came with. mountain riding made it clear why double wall is the only way to go. if you are not riding technical trails, this should not be a real problem.
overall, i was happy with my response. i eventually sold it to a buddy for a screaming deal and he still rides it as a commuter. i like the response. i know nothing about the komodo.