upgraded bike for commute advice?

[ZenBiker]

I haven't ridden either of the bikes you're looking at so can't help much there. But I have a couple friends who wanted to bike commute and started out with bikes that were sort of like the Felt - very upright, cruiser types. One stopped bike commuting but happily rides her bike to the coffee shop on Saturday mornings. The other kept commuting but bought a bike more along the lines of the Giant within a year. Not saying you would have the same experience, but I do think the Giant is going to be more versatile and may keep you happy longer, and would probably be easier (hence more fun) to ride on a daily basis especially if your commute has any hills.

[TigerMom]

If they both feel the same to you in terms of comfort, I would personally pick the lighter bike.