It is very difficult to convince non-technical people to buy technology they cannot see, touch, try and in a general sense, "feel". Because you know, non-technical people do not know what "specs" are.

And they also do not browse the internet like geeks.

If people go to apple.com, they "see" things, or even at amazon.com.

The simple question is: where does my mom have to go to buy a Nexus 7? Certainly not to google.com, not even nexus.com.

Yes, 4.7 million people have bought a nexus 7 (or 4, whatever). The first-gen iPad (which nobody would buy anyway) reached 3 million in 80 days.

People SAW it. At apple.com. And then they saw their friends'.

Ditto the Galaxy. You see: samsung.com, as easy as that. The S-II sold 5 million units in 85 days.