I've got a 290 and my brother has the 455 Rancher. We are good buddies and cut together a lot. The two saws perform pretty much identically, basically comes down to who has a sharper chain that day. We are not pro's, just heat with OWB's so we cut a fair amount of wood - about 10 cords a piece every fall. The saws weigh about the same and the cc's are within 1 or 2 of each other. I got the Stihl for $360ish, he paid right around $400. Both are decent saws for homeowners who put up a lot of wood. I would agree with the other guys and put some weight on the dealer proximity and reputability. I'd also agree that there are many better saws out there in the pro category, but I'm not sure how much more expensive they are.
Things I like about my 290 - the new gas and oil cap design (no more looking for a tool to get a stuck one open, no more fuel leaking out). The air filter comes apart so you can blow it out from the inside out. There is a plastic piece you can turn for use in really cold temps to help the engine warm up a little better - used it today and it seemed to help (today it was 6 degrees). The Husky may have all those things and more but I haven't taken a look. Good luck, better buy yourself something soon before your wife spends it all on Christmas. Around here my Mrs. takes Christmas time as a license to shop.