the d90 seems a bit dated in specs
Don't stare yourself blind at specs ... it's a good place to start but it's not the end-all of things
If you suffer from upgradetitis or feel that video functionality is a high priority then you should go with a newer entry-level (Canon 550D / Nikon D5100) or otherwise if you want something that you will be extremely happy with for many, many years to come the mid-level "pro-sumer" D90 should at least be considered! (never mind how outdated it looks on paper ... looks can be deceiving!)
Only you can decide what is important for you but the most important advice would be to actually go handle each camera you are interested in ... ergonomics does become a huge factor when you start shooting the whole day long!!!
Edit: Sorry, missed your 2 choice post, I need to refresh the page more often

... as mentioned go handle both and choose the one that "feels" best, spec wise they are too similar to separate
Realistically you'd have to try fairly hard these days to buy a bad dslr.
Very true!
D90 has been officially EOL'ed by the way but I assume stock simply hasn't been depleted yet ... D7000 (or new Sony A65/77) would also be my personal recommendation but none of them are within his budget.