Nikon vs Canon point & shoot cameras?

We're looking into purchasing a point & shoot camera with great picture quality. That is our number one concern when it comes to cameras- that & great video quality as well.
We really like the Canon powershot sx230hs because of the amazing video quality & the zoom on that is spectacular. I haven't really looked into Nikon cameras but someone told me that they highly recommend a Nikon over a Canon.
What point & shoot camera would you prefer a Nikon or a Canon? & Why?

They are very similar and both are great. I tend to prefer the Canon models personally but that is mostly due to the image quality that I have observed. Nothing is wrong with Nikon though and most of their cameras are great. When you look at point and shoots, there will be vast differences between models, even models within a brand so you really can't dismiss any brand. Learning how to use it properly would be a better way of improving quality.