I have used canon xti and nikon d40
xti has 9focus point vs. d40 has 3
IMO, xti takes better pictures easy(sharp, clear, etc)
is it b/c different # of the focus points?

 

Focus points are mostly for action photography and you're trying to track a subject. If you're shooting static, still objects, I would get the focus point of "auto" and set for the center. Focus on the point you want in focus, then move the camera to compose/frame.

So the answer to your question is no.

Sharpness mainly falls on the shoulders of the lens... and you might want to check your sharpness settings on the camera, as well as clean the lenses/camera.

Generally, the Image Quality (IQ) in Canon's DSLR's are subjectively better compared to Nikon's... until recently. Check the Nikon D300 thread I started to see how Nikon (with Sony's help) has caught up.

 

to elaborate a little on this. Focus points come into effect on a few key ideas. low aperture shots in any condition and shutter speed in relation to action shots.

If your shooting a tight shot on a low aperture, you need to have your focusing setup according to where you want to shot to be the most in focus.

In action, if you go very aggressive on low shutter speeds, your going to want to position the point again where you want it to be the sharpest.

Even in a full meter focus, the more focus points the better in an action situation for the camera to decide the best place to pick up off of. It will give you more accurate shots.