Tech.Selling: Lg G Pad 8.3 Vs. LG Google Play 8.3 vs Nexus 7 2013 Hands on

LG GPE 8.3 on left Nexus 7 on right.
Both are in really nice bluetooth leather cases available on Amazon.

What is the best mid sized Android tablet?
Is there a Goldilocks solution that's just the right size with just the right features at the right price?
We shall see. We'll follow my journey from Nexus 7 to LG Gpad 8.3 to the pure LG Gpad Google Play Edition.
I've had Google Nexus 7 2012 8 and 16 GB versions, and then a Google Nexus 7 2013 32 GB version. I really liked everything about the Nexus. Specifically;

Great screen resolution
Reliable hardware and software
Most current version of Android
No bloatware (Samsung and LG among others add tons of apps and programs that kind of answer the questions no one ever asked. I find these options confusing and may reduce performance. More on that later.)

The only things on my wish list were

an SD Card slot. (But in reality the 32 GB version had plenty of room to spare without external storage.)
A little bit bigger screen

About year end 2013 I read about the new LG Google play edition LG 8.3. Ah-ha an almost 20% increase in screen real estate and still pure Android direct from Google. After much reading and price shopping I decided to try the Non Google play Edition from LG which was available from Best Buy for $299 vs $349 for the GPE (Google Play Edition). They are no longer offering that price so $349 is the price for either the LG version or the GPE from Google.

At any rate I was not happy with the LG version for the following reasons;

Screen was darker and had a yellowish cast
Performance was definitely slower. There was a noticeable delay when starting some apps and when moving about screens.
The bloatware on the machine was crazy click here for complete details. http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-V500-Black-g-pad-8.
It was running Jelly Bean OS 4.22 instead of KitKat 4.42which has some nice streamlining and improvements.

I returned the LG version and ordered the GPE edition. I am very happy with it. Here's are the positives:

That little extra 1.3" screen size make a big difference when watching movies or reading. It is still easy to hold and lightweight.
It has an SD card with up to 64 GB of storage fro movies music etc.
The GPE version has no bloatware and it's performance is much snappier. I have seen no lagging.
The screen color was true and did not have the yellow cast. It also seems brighter.

So the GPE edition is the choice over the stock LG 8.3 tablet, especially since they are the same price currently.

How about versus the Nexus 7?

I would say the screen resolution is equal. Both are joys to view.
The Nexus 7 32GB is currently available from Walmart for $179 vs $349 for the LG 8.3 GPE. That is a very big difference for an extra 1.3 inches of screen.
The sound on the Nexus 7 is purer. The 8.3 GPE has a rather tinny sound from it's stereo speakers.
Though the GPE has an SD card, you can't write to it in the Android OS.
You have to remove the card and put it in a computer and copy your media to it. Then you can replace the card and the applications will se the media on the card. You can then play your movies, etc.

Bottom line, the Nexus 7 is the best value. If you need a little more reading room and want to take more media with you, then the LG Google Play Edition 8.3 is a tablet you will be happy with. I would avoid the stock LG unit.

ANd a final question might be, gee since the Ipad Mini with retina display at 7.9" is only $50 more maybe that's a better move? Could be...... Then it gets down to preferences between working in the less restrictive Android environment versus the more rigid IOS7.