ANALYSIS:

Those are all fine points, but they might not tell the whole story -- here's a more detailed comparison between the two devices.

SCREEN: The Nexus 7 boasts higher resolution in a smaller overall package than the iPad mini -- 1280x800 in 7 inches, compared to 1024x768 in 7.9 inches -- giving it superior pixel density and a sharper picture. Apple opted not to include its Retina display technology in the new device for compatibility reasons -- since apps written for other iPad versions are all designed for a 4:3 aspect ratio, they would have to be retooled for differently proportioned screens.

Apple made a lot of hay out of the bigger screen at the launch event, saying that it represents a substantial increase in viewable area -- and the thin side bezels allow it to accomplish this without swelling the device's overall size by too much. While that's true, it's also slightly misleading -- yes, content can be displayed on a bigger scale, but it will still be less sharply defined than on the Nexus 7's screen.

UNDER THE HOOD: Much was made of the "missing" features on the Nexus 7 at its release -- the consensus is that Google skipped out on cellular connectivity and a rear-facing camera in the interest of keeping costs down. However, the device's other internals are nothing to scoff at -- the quad-core Tegra 3 system-on-a-chip provides solid performance and decent graphical horsepower.