Hello everyone, I'm new to mountain biking. I went mountain biking for the first time this past weekend, and loved it. After looking around at what's available in my area, I have narrowed my options down to these two bikes:

04 Kona Cinder Cone: $699 (100 dollars off MSRP)
05 Specialized Rockhopper: $449 (50 dollars off MSRP)

The Kona has a better fork, better components and disc brakes, but I'm unsure as to whether or not its worth the extra $250.

Which is the better deal between these two bikes?
Assuming I test ride both of them, and neither one feels significantly more comfortable than the other, which one should i get?

Thanks,

Jeff