Google is partly to blame for their own problem... by being "open", they allowed every OEM under the sun to create their own crappy skins, and that's the big cause for the framentation... not to mention the gazillion hardware variations (mainly screen resolutions)...
Google could have started fresh with ICS, enforcing certain hardware parameters... In any case, things at least seem to be improved with ICS as far as consistency... it has already forced OEM's like HTC to back off on their heavily skinned UI... BUT... there's still a long way to go....
I'm glad I have a GNex though... at least it should be on the forefront of updates for the next couple of releases... even then, as shaytoon21 says, iOS will always rule in this respect....