The Nexus 7 and iPad Mini with Retina Display are squarely aimed at outdoing each other.

Both tablets offer incredible displays, great HD video playback, long battery life and fantastic apps. The Nexus 7 is a Google device and thus all your content purchases are tied into the Play store. The iPad Mini with Retina Display from Apple doesn't utilize the Play store. Rather, it has its own virtual storefront called iTunes. The downside to both of these devices is that the content you buy only works on certain devices. If you owned an iPad for several years but wanted to try the Nexus 7 out you'd need to buy all new apps.

Which small tablet ultimately wins out? It really comes down to determining whether you like the iOS or Android operating system better. Google has really improved upon Android since it first hit the market in 2008. It's infinitely customizable and integrates your Google Account. That means that your YouTube, Google Docs, Gmail and other Google services work seamlessly on any Android phone or tablet. Apple devices are a little different in that they aren't as customizable. Apple thinks it knows what its users want and delivers a great mobile experience that just works with little to no learning curve. If you really want to change more then the size of the font and background image on your iPad Mini, you would have to jailbreak it.

For media consumption, you may want to buy the Nexus because it offers a 16:9 widescreen display. Almost everything these days is filmed in widescreen, from Hollywood blockbusters to family videos. Your movies and music videos will be shown in the original format intended with minimal black bars. The iPad Mini utilizes a 4:3 display, which is better suited for writing and reading. It's also much wider that the slender Nexus 7 display. Movies will most likely have black bars on the top and bottom, much like older TV sets did in the past.

Lastly, the iPad offers better accessories like custom keyboard covers and smart covers that automatically wake up the screen when opened. Buying an iPad also grants you the advantage of superior customer service at an Apple Retail Store. However, the Nexus 7 is a lot cheaper than the Mini and it basically has the same high quality display. Also, the Nexus 7 is compatible with Chromecast, a $35 accessory that enables you to stream content from your Android device to your big screen TV.

The only way to really determine which tablet offers a better experience for you is to try one out for yourself. Best Buy is a great store because they have all the major brands of tablets including Google and Apple. With the devices side by side, you can really get a feel for the devices. Specs help determine how good a device should theoretically perform, but even some high-powered tablets suffer during real world usage.