Baldur's Gate or Diablo 2?

Really want to play both these games but I assume I only have enough time for one of them before Dragon Age 2 comes out. Really torn about which one to play first. Ideally the shorter/easier one, though they both look great..

Diablo 2 much much much much much much much much shorter than Baldur's Gate. 
 
Also it's more actiony and easy to get into from the start.

story / characters - bg2

loot /combat - the devil 2

bg2 is longer and deeper. diablo 2 is more action focused and repetitively addictive.

Diablo 2 is both shorter and easier. It's also a totally different game from BG. If you want to get in the mood for DA 2, play Baldur's Gate, considering that the first Dragon Age was a deliberate throwback to Baldur's Gate and its sequel. You might want to install some mods or something to make the experience easier for you if you go that route. A widescreen patch is a must, and the TC mod that makes it run on the Baldur's Gate 2 version of the engine is also recommended.

I assume you mean Baldur's Gate 2, and you need to realize you're asking about two VERY different games. The fantasy trappings are really all they have in common. 
If you want a much more involved storyline and characters that will probably take you ~40-60 hours (depending on if you have the Throne of Bhaal expansion), go with Baldur's Gate. 
If you want a way more combat-heavy and loot lusty kind of game that will probably take you around 20-30 hours (depending, once again, on an expansion with the word Baal in it), go with Diablo 2. 
Also: how weird is it that both games have Baal/Bhaal in their expansion title?

As I said about 2-4 minutes ago on somewhere else, isometric view makes my eyes puke, so I'd go with the one where I at least get to see lots of pixelated gore. 
 
Also go bard, THE BEAR HAS ABS.

Problem (?) with Baldur's Gate is that it uses the older Dungeons and Dragons rule set (2nd Edition), and has a lot of stats that can be confusing.  
 
Anyways even compared to Dragon Age, I think Baldur's Gate 2 has the better character interaction and story. DAO disappointed me enough for me to quit after a while.  
 
Combat is only a small part of those CRPGs after all.

Baldur's Gate is more like DA than Diablo is.
 
But it's not an easy game to get into.

Diablo 2 will be pretty easy to beat in a month.

Yeah as already said, if you're looking for shorter/easier, Diablo 2 is your bet.  But definitely get back to Baldur's Gate at some point.  Though if you ARE talking Baldurs Gate 2 (and not the original), I'd say BG2 is easier/shorter than BG1 was.  At least that's my recollection.

Thanks for all the tips y'all. Going to start with Diablo 2. Sounds like BG (1 and 2, btw) are going to need a LOT of time. I'll deal with those when I'm done with DA2 or something. 
 
I bought Diablo 2 + expansion on Blizzard's site and have installed them on my mac and it's running well (phew!). Any tips or things I should know before diving into Diablo 2? I tried to get Diablo 1 running but couldn't find it, not to mention my mac doesn't support classic environment (which I assume Diablo 1 needs).  
Any sortof of plot points I should know going into D2? I honestly know nothing about the game except that it plays like Torchlight. xD

" Thanks for all the tips y'all. Going to start with Diablo 2. Sounds like BG (1 and 2, btw) are going to need a LOT of time. I'll deal with those when I'm done with DA2 or something.  I bought Diablo 2 + expansion on Blizzard's site and have installed them on my mac and it's running well (phew!). Any tips or things I should know before diving into Diablo 2? I tried to get Diablo 1 running but couldn't find it, not to mention my mac doesn't support classic environment (which I assume Diablo 1 needs).  Any sortof of plot points I should know going into D2? I honestly know nothing about the game except that it plays like Torchlight. xD "

Diablow

Diablo 2

@hafnalas: Not only is all of this incredibly wrong but also yo, I think this conversation had it's day.

Diablo 2 for LAN play!

Baldurs Gate 2 is the best single player RPG ever made, though.