Things that make an Android tablet more like a real computer than an iPad:
1. Real file managers, including some that let you poke at the inner system bits.
2. Ability to hack on the device and flash and load its own ROMs. iPad needs another computer for jailbreak.
3. Ability to plug in the Android tablet via USB and easily add or delete files from it without extra software
4. Ability to replace core applications with better ones (Opera Mobile kicks Mobile Safari's ass)
5. Flash, and by extension of that Hulu
6. Ability to use bluetooth GPSes without hacking
7. Ability to use bluetooth controllers like the Wiimote without hacking
8. Capability to dual boot on Android tablets
9. Ability to run real OSes like Ubuntu on the Android tablets
10. Ability to easily replace input methods like onscreen keyboards to one you prefer
1.) In order to poke around certain system bits I needed to be rooted. Apple has the same type of file managers once jailbroken.
2.) I had to use another computer to properly load the roms and software onto the SD card to do anything with the Nook. So I'm not sure what you mean by this. Plus there have been wireless jailbreaks on ipads and iphones, they just are now patched in newer firmware. It was still possible though.
3.) True
4.) The app store (official and unoffical) all have alternate browsers. In fact Opera itself is even on iOS devices.
5.) True enough, to a point. There's still a Hulu app for iOS devices though... and I have only used a few Android devices and none of them ran flash very well :\
6.) Who cares? The only reason you'd need to use a bluetooth GPS is if your onboard one is that bad.
7.) That would be pretty cool. Can you really use a wiimote on Android devices natively without any rooting at all?
8.) Fair enough. Though isn't this needed because one rom can never seem to give you everything you want?
9.) That's true as well, though I'm not sure who would ever need such a thing. Doesn't mean it's useless to everybody though... just a personal thing.
10.) There are multiple iOS keyboards as well. Not as many as Android but they still exist.
It seems over half of these aren't even Android specific... I'm kind of wondering if you even own an iOS device to draw these comparisons or if you're just going by rumors? I'm not trying to start a flame war I'm just wanting an honest discussion. Out of the things listed here, most of the useful ones (to me) aren't special to Android. There are a few things like removeable/upgradeable memory and full USB explorer access, but those are small pieces of the whole user experience.
I bought an Android device so I could see the differences with my own eyes. People tend to usually own one or the other and then form opinions based on blind rumors. Now that I have both I can honestly say the differences between them are VERY exaggerated.