Beginner choosing between two SLRs: Canon Rebel T3i and Nikon D3200?

Hi

I'm a beginner choosing between Canon Rebel T3i and Nikon D3200. From most of the reviews I read Nikon has much better specs and suppose to take better photos. However when I tried it out at store I found that Canon ends up taking photos with much more vivid color and looks better to me. (As a beginner)

So my question would be that does it mean that Canon has better image processing that makes the photo it takes look better? Does it mean in theory I can use a graphic processing software to make the Nikon pictures look even better then Canon one? Would that be hard or prove to be too much trouble for me as a beginner?

By default Canon tends to bump up sharpness, saturation, and contrast more than Nikon does. That makes the out-of-camera.jpg of the Canon look more snappy and the Nikon more dull. Why does Nikon choose more dull? It provides more latitude for software adjustment.
Either camera can be adjusted.
With either, shooting RAW can give you more latitude for software adjustment. With RAW files you must do software conversion to have a useful image.
The Canon T3i has an articulating LCD that the Nikon D3200 lacks. The Nikon D5200 has that feature.
The Nikon D3200 has correction for chromatic aberration that the Canon T3i lacks. The Canon T5i has that feature.
For medium priced telephotos, the Canon seems to beat Nikon, with the EF-S 55-250mm STM IS getting more favorable reviews than the Nikon 55-200mm AF-S VR or 55-300mm AF-S VR.

All DSLRs, when set to JPEG, will process the image in unique ways. You can alter those settings to make any camera produce a better looking JPEG (better looking to you). So it's not correct to think that Brand N will take better pictures than Brand C just because of the way they process a JPEG using default settings.
There are other aspects that affect image quality. For example, the Pentax K50 has image stabilization built into itself, while Canon/Nikon have it only within certain lenses. That means, with a scene requiring the Canon/Nikon to be set at ISO3200, the Pentax can take the same shot at ISO200. The difference would be HUGE! Having the IS built in allows you to use any lens that will fit (100+) as oppose to specific models.

It's just as likely that the cameras have been set differently. There are settings in the menus to make adjustments on the finished photo. It's just as easy to make Nikons produce snappy, vivid photos as it is Canon.

Both cameras are excellent, so it doesn't really matter which one you buy. You will get good results.
If you felt happier with the Canon, then that's the one to get. I have used Canon for many years and wouldn't change to any other make now.

No.

If you found the T3i to your liking, it only means you are more comfortable using it. All dSLRs are basically the same. You should get the same picture no matter what dSLR you use if you know exactly what you are doing.