My current commuter for going to and from work is a specialized singlecross

Its been great and I have no real complaints with it but as biking has grown to encompass more and more of my travelling Im needing to carry more stuff, and with more stuff comes more weight and ideally some gearing to help with that. So have have determined a second steel commuter with rack mounts and a few gears would be nice. Ive narrowed it down to two.
The first is the Novara buzz. It has all of the needed parts and has tabs for upgrading to disc brakes which is a plus. On the down side im not a fan of the triple up front.
http://www.rei.com/product/808781/novara-buzz-bike-2011

The second is the Redline Metro 9. Comes stock with all you need including fenders, however no disc tabs which is its main drawback. The drive train is what i would ideally prefer so no upgradig or tinkering would be needed.
http://www.redlinebicycles.com/bikes...e/2011-metro-9

Any additional feedback, comments, or suggestions that could be provided to help steer me one way or the other would be greatly appreciated. The price for either one is around 600 which is my price range. Thanks