There are two kinds of technology buyers in the world: those who love the technology itself, and those that just want to get things done. Most tech analysts and bloggers, myself included, fall naturally into the first category. We have strong opinions about licensing, patents, openness, walled gardens, review processes, frequency of OS upgrades, and many other esoteric topics that are all unimportant to the second group. To us, technology is like politics. Some are more hard-core than others but we're all biased in one way or another. Or if you prefer: passionate.
The second category is much larger. These are people who see technology as a means to an end. When making their buying decisions they are looking at price, features, aesthetics, stability, and customer service. They tend to be much more practical than the first group, with specific needs such as reading, making calls, and web browsing that must be satisfied before anything else is considered. To continue with the political analogy, these are the independents. They'll support whichever side brings them the best results.
The reason I mention all this is because the decision between two devices such as the iPad mini and the Nexus 7 depends first and foremost on which type of person you are. Are you in it for the technology, or for the practical benefits? Do you want the tech to be in your face or to disappear into the background? The answer is much simpler for the first group so let's take them first.
Technology focus
If you fall into this group then you have probably already made up your mind and just don't realize it. Look around at what other devices and computers you use. Do you regularly use a Mac? An iPhone? Do you closely follow Apple announcements of new releases? Did you mourn the loss of Steve Jobs, and feel the company might lose its way without him? Then go ahead and get the iPad. It'll be familiar to you. You'll feel good about yourself, like you're a part of something bigger.
On the other hand, if you value openness over simplicity and you're not locked into the Apple world, then consider the Nexus 7. You get more cores, a higher clock rate, more memory, a higher resolution, a GPS, and a cheaper price. Spec-wise, the only advantage the iPad has is the physical size of the screen (7.9 vs. 7.0 inches). Some people prefer the iPad's square-ish aspect ratio while others prefer the more movie-friendly rectangular format on the Nexus 7, so that's just a personal choice. The iPad is a bit thinner but both will fit in a pocketbook or a big pair of cargo pants.
Both the iPad mini and the Nexus 7 enjoy up to date OTA updates direct from Apple and Google, respectively. So there's no worry about having an old OS version. Both are jail-breakable if you're into that kind of thing, though the Nexus, like all Android devices, wins hands down in terms of the breadth and depth of its modding community. It's Linux after all.
Functional focus
Before the Nexus 7, if you asked me what tablet to get for your non-technical family member I would have said iPad every time. Yes, that's right, me, author of a book on Android, writer of many articles espousing the benefits of Android, I was recommending iPads. Why? Well, for one thing I actually do own both Android and iOS tablets. I bought an iPad 1 as soon as it came out. But then something funny happened. It vanished. Stolen!
Ok, not stolen exactly. My wife "borrowed" it. You have to realize, this is a woman who eschews the same high tech devices that I get so worked up about. She won't use laptops because she hates the small screens and trackpads. She won't use a smartphone because the battery doesn't last long enough. When she's out and gets lost she calls me up so I can function as sort of a remote "Google maps viewer" for her. I love her to death, but in my mind she's something of a Luddite. But she. Took. My. Ipad.
My wife is strongly in the functional, practical camp. She practically defines it. For her, the iPad does exactly what she wants: It reads mail, it browses the web, and it plays games. Oh, the games. Whoever invented the freemium in-app purchase model of games owes me a lot of money, let me tell you. But I digress.
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