If the Nintendo handhelds all got such a large install base by being able to have pick up and go games (not hardcore peel your eyes for 5 hours in a row) then this battery problem should not be the reason why people end up disliking the system. You will be the minority if you dislike the system for it's battery life on the go (at home you have the cradle).
That being said I was on a new model train yesterday (brand new, put on the rails just a week ago) only currently available on Metro North in NY. The M-8 it was called. It had friggin power outlets by like a third of the seats! friggin insane. I mention this because capitalism dictates that the market keep up with the demands of the new super-mobile-devices trend going on (ipad/pod/touch/phone etc...).
This train system we have in the US is goverment owned and so without capitalist competition they still felt the need to put all these great consumer ideas into their new train. This is just food for thought but I'm pretty sure you can garauntee yourself that new model cars, buses, other trains, and even planes may soon be providing very capable and accessible power outlets for use - it's smart on their end to do this.
In a nutshell, battery life may not be as much of an issue in the future let alone that it's not even the priority of a lot of softcore-medium core (heh) users.
