No.

But maybe a better route would have been to improve the Wii remote and have that as the system´s main controller..I don´t know, I still think (though I don´t have anything to back this up, it´s just a 'feeling') the Gamepad is one of the culprits behind the poor state of the system, besides the obvious lack of 'killer app' titles.

So you want 3 nearly identicle consoles on the market at once?
The gamepad makes the Wii U different, and when it comes to Nintendo, they do different very well.
It will be boring when/if the day comes that video games are played the exact same way.

What was different about N64 and the ps and the gamecube vs the ps2? My favorite ganes of all time come from the n64 so if ditching the gamepad means nintendo not being different than ps4 yet having nintendo franchises then i say bring it on.

My personal feeling is in hindsight this is what Nintendo would do now.

"Wii HD" (2010/2011) is released, basically the same as the original Wii but now with some HD capability (720p for newer games like Skyward Sword/DKCR/Just Dance/etc.) and revised system OS and a completely new eShop that makes the Wii back catalog available for download. HD Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, Youtube Channel, etc. Budget console $149.99 to start, eventually $99.99. This would let the Wii sell for a few more years to the low end of the market and compete with things like Apple TV, Roku (the same idea Sony is trying with Vita TV). 

"Wii U" (released fall 2012) would be a different console perhaps an entirely different name/brand. The tablet wouldn't be standard, it'd be an option pre-bundled with Nintendo Land for $99.99 (ala Wii Fit). The chipset would be more powerful, the console as a whole would be designed more for American/European tastes. There would be some kind of new controller innovation but it would be a cost effective and cheap addition.

How did you come to that conclusion? I clearly stated right afterwards, in the same post you quoted that it would have kept the Wiimote.

The Wiimote alone makes it different. The Pro Controller allows devs to make games the way they are for both PS4 and XBone if they wish. No need to keep adding new controllers.

Youre talking about 25% in 6 weeks. It is a huge difference. Its the difference between 375k weekly and 500k weekly. I wouldnt say thats close and sure, you can compare apples to oranges. It doesnt mean they are close to each other

Nintendo couldn't have convinced anyone to buy a new system with so few and small differences.

If they had made basically a "standard next gen" console (or a modern Super NES if you prefer that) and really been more prepared software wise and just given third parties a more PC-like architecture to work with I think they'd be sitting pretty right now.

They could have a $299.99 console versus a $399.99 PS4 and a $499.99 XB1 with probably a 7-8 million unit head start which would only rise this holiday.

I think Sony/MS would not be able to overtake Nintendo until mid-2015 at the earliest, and that's assuming that Nintendo drops like a rock.

They very easily could've ran away with this thing if they had been more aggressive.

      NO.

ps4/xone are no big jumps from ps360. that means a considerable jump over ps360 puts wii u closer to ps4/xone than ps360. it's not even about raw power, everything on wii u is closer to the upcoming consoles.