The differences between these bikes are significant enough to be apples and oranges. They're both fine bikes for the money, so it boils down to personal taste, and no one here can tell you what your personal taste is.

I can tell you that my personal taste is for drop (curved) bars. I own four bikes, all with drop bars. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Equally valid, there are folks here who prefer straight bars and wouldn't have it any other way.

Others like them both and own one or more of each.

Who's right? We all are, but only for ourselves. We can't make the choice for you.

Your best bet is to arrange for extensive test rides. We're not talking a pedal around the parking lot, but something substantial, that's as similar to your intended commute as possible in time and terrain.

This should be preceded by a reasonable stab at fitting. The importance of fitting cannot be stressed enough. It not only adds comfort, but power and control as well. But perhaps most importantly, it helps prevent repetitive motion injuries. Bear in mind though, that the pre-purchase and immediate post-purchase fittings can only be approximate. You may need fine tuning along the way after a few days or weeks as you adjust to the bike.

On your test ride, chances are very good that each bike will feel like a million bucks. But they'll speak to you differently. They'll behave differently, ride differently, and handle differently. You may find you prefer one's shifting or brake levers over the other's. These are the things to consider when deciding between them.

Finally, there's always the possibility you'll pick one, and a few months down the road decide you prefer the other. Cycling is like that. It's said that the purpose of your first bike is to teach you what you want and need in your second bike. Fortunately, both these bikes will be fairly easy to resell without losing tons of value, or can complement each other in your stable.

You can't go very far wrong. Ride 'em, and pick the one that speaks to you in the way you like best. Buy it, and ride it happily. Learn from it.