Header Design, Please Critique

I'm designing a new header for HacknMod and I'd like your opinion and advice please. Any comments and suggestions are welcome. IMHO, the first one is sleek or whatever, but too WEB 2.0. The second one is alright, but looks a little blah? Help me find a happy medium please!

the contrast on the first one is too high, hurts my eyes to look at it. second is alright, as you said. my advice would be take the first and tone it down just a little - contrast, saturation... just to stop it from gouging people's eyes out also maybe the horizontal stripes idea from the second isn't bad - in fact I quite like it. make a frankenstein mix of the two

I like the hard highlights for the text and logo on the first. I like the background on the second, but the horizontal pattern should carry over a little more into the circuit board photo. I don't like the search bar in the second.

The orange is very very bright and very very saturated.

I like the hard glossy highlights. I would reduce their opacity a little bit, and maybe try to carry it over to the background as well.

Hey thanks for the great advice. I've also received a few comments about the first one being too much of a Web 2.0 wannabe. Which , its true. I'll work on a new design and post it.

Anyone else have tips or comments?

Okay, new layouts, let me know which one you like best. Thanks!

I'd go with the first..

I agree, I like the first one much better.

Thanks again for the great input. A poll on HacknMod also favored the top layout.

http://www.hacknmod.com/displayMOD.php?hack=1602

I think your first graphic image is your best. I also think you don't understand (or the people giving you their opinions don't understand) what Web 2.0 is. It has nothing to do with graphic/image design or even the layout of your page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

another thing ... maybe you would want to read this article from webdesignerwall.com ... here is a little quote ...
...

I like the design and think it works well with the theme, some pages do take a ... I think a a custom header for “the importance of the cigar industry”.