My 2 cents: buy the bike that fits best. Are you long in the legs or torso, how's your flexibility, what type of trails do you ride, what's your riding technique and experience? All these are issues in fit, and when I say "fit," I don't mean buying the right size, but getting a bike from a manufacturer that uses the right proportions for you.
So, unless you have a lot of experience reading geometry charts and know what you need (don't trust charts that size you to a bike by height if you care how it works for you), you'll want to find a good bike shop with a knowledgeable staff that will actually watch you ride various bikes and help you figure out what brand's geometry fits you best. This is easily worth an extra $100 vs. having a bike that doesn't handle well under you.
Makes a lot of sense to me. Fortunately, I guess I just lucked out with my Fisher. Ordered it from a catalog, but it was after consulting with some knowledgeable staff from the shop. I went with a larger frame (19.5) as opposed to the 17 since I'm 6 feet tall. I've always felt I had a shorter torso with longer legs, but I'm not too sure. I do know that the frame fits nice, and it is certainly a lot different than the Trek I rode for 18 years. It made me think the older bike didn't fit as good. My good buddy has an Ibex. It's a sweet little machine. I'm not too familiar with the other choice...
