iPads are not necessarily 'better' than Android devices, it's just that Apple hardware and software is both more consistent in design and more restricted against user modifications so it's a more 'known' environment. The Android world is more varied (some products equaling or bettering the Apple standard and others falling short), the result being that using Android products can require some advance research. There are a couple of known good Android platforms (such as the Nvidia Shield K1 or the Nexus 7 2013) and they work well, are less expensive, definitely more configurable, and sometimes are more fully featured than an iPad, but the Android world does require a little more knowledge on the part of the user than simply opening an iPad box and plugged it in. Which philosophy is preferable depends on the user, as it has always been between Apple and Android products.
In the end most of us are already involved with one (Apple or Android) ecosystem due to our phone choice so when buying a tablet it's probably easiest to stick with what you know. And if that is Android it's safer to stay with known quantities, so I'd pick from one of the more well-tested devices.