I have never used a TI micro controller outside of university.....In fact, your post reminded me that the MSP430 actually exists. I remember that it was an pretty easy platform to use, but that is all i remember. Either one should fit the bill. It depends on what your goals are. TI if you are more concerned about speed of completion, NXP if you want to actually learn the grit of firmware. Of course, I have not used these exact chips at all, so i am just generalizing.