now that you've narrowed it down I'd say go with the first one. better processor, bigger harddrive. missing 1 GB of ram isn't going to kill you if you're not using it for heavy gaming/something resource intensive.however I'd definitely wait for another opinion. and of course personal bias plays into this, which one do you want more? don't just go with what someone tells you because they said so.
Idk but I remember my first computer was a gateway, came in a big ass cardboard box with a cow design and I think I got a free Cow stuffed animal as well as a Blues Clues CD Case
Blues Clues CD Case