As you can probably tell, seeme, many people here have agendas that beyond helping you. These little engines can inspire a great deal of brand loyalty/zealotry, and the information you're seeking is being tainted by a bit of that. It would be nice if everyone could just give you their opinions without the zeal, but a few people can't do that.

The just of what everyone is saying is that you're not going to go wrong with either one. My advice is a little less straight forward than anything you'll find above. I think you should contact the club you'll be flying with. They'll put you in touch with the instructors they have. Ask them for some advice--they'll be able to give you their opinion on your questions. They're the guys that will be helping you learn to use your engine (and everything else), so why not ask them?

Also think about the money involved. If you're on a limited budget, that's a fairly large difference in price. If you were to buy the OS, is there something else you'd have to skimp on?