Of Sony and Nintendo's first HD consoles, which do you think is better, and what factors give it the edge in your opinion?

I love the WIi U but, PS3 launched with Linux and had PS home. PS3 dropped Linux since 2009 I think?

PS3. I love some Wii U exclusives like New Super Mario Bros. U, Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World.

But the PS3 has a much wider library, and it did a lot of things first, like the HD and some franchises. Assassin's Creed, Dead Space, Resident Evil...

follow up comment: That is why Microsoft went for the neck on Sony I understand it it Since PS3 used Linux OS and not Microsoft OS but those days are over Linux was probably too expensive PS3 dropped it had to pay royalties. Theres a reason Microsoft does smart business while Sony can't make Gekai run well nor make their own Sony OS. Current Microsoft is now sleeping with Linux don't know how that works?

PS3 has a far better third-party library in quantity and quality (most important). I don't know if I can say the PS3 has better first-party games. Even with the Wii U not having one of the stronger Nintendo first-party line-ups, it still rivals a lot of first-party lineups.
PS3 also is a multimedia juggernaut and has more robust online.
So, I will say PS3, even though I played the Wii U more overall and when it was a current platform. PS3 has almost always been about 15 years after the darn thing came out.

Don't get me wrong I love Xenoblade X,Bayo 2 and such but PS3 even ignoring Sony's first party has a ton of third party support. PS3 fumbled out of the gate but corrected it's course over time.  Ended up a pretty good system.

The PS3 wasn't great at first but got much better. I just wish they'd kept the PS2 backwards compatibility, but they ultimately felt it didn't add much to the experience for what it cost to manufacture. Valkyria Chronicles was the "killer app" that got me to get one. The PS3 had one of the strongest finishes of any console. Its last few years seemed to herald the start of a Japanese renaissance. I enjoyed the Wii U, however.

Sorry Nintendo, PS3 wins this one.

PS3 easily.

WiiU was a garbage system.

I can recognize that PS3 is the superior system, with a larger library, and the ability to play bluray, dvd, cd, etc.
However, I choose Wii U because Nintendo just has 90% of the series that I love the most.