They (portables and home consoles) are all consoles - the problem is that we've allowed the nomenclature to degrade to the point that we no longer add a qualifier to home consoles. Consoles are defined by their specialization and their free availability for the average consumer. Home consoles and portable consoles are both consoles.

If you refuse to adapt to changing language because you've been using it a certain way, you're going to have trouble adjusting to English as you grow older.

They're different types of devices, but are both consoles.

I suppose I classify them as home consoles and portable gaming devices.

Similiar to a house phone and a mobile. They're both phones, but there is a clear distinction.

Living in Sweden there's no choice but to call handhelds consoles. We call them "bärbara/portabla konsoller/spelmaskiner" or portable consoles. You can't just call them portables or handhelds in Swedish cause that would make zero sense in our language.

Saying a portable console isn't a console is like saying a mobile phone isn't a phone.

A PC's primary function isn't playing games, though.  It's just one of a PC's several options.  An arcade cabinet tends to only play the game originally built inside of it.  A walkman is a type of music player.  A discman is a type of music player.  An ipod is a type of music player but, like it was stated, they're all music players.  Music player is the big category that gets divided into smaller categories--not Walkman!

Console is the big category that gets divided, in this case.  Portable consoles, Nintendo consoles, etc.  A portable can play different games from a library.  It can often play the same games as the home consoles.  A portable console is a console. 

Yes they are, they're just smaller, have a built in screen and controller, and cheaper (excluding the PSP Go and 3DS...).

Example:  Genesis plays cartridges.  Console.  Take those exact same cartridges and put them inside of a Sega Nomad?  Take Turbografx-16 cards and put them into the portable Turbo Express.  Where's the dispute, here?  This is like saying a portable TV isn't a TV.

I find this debate pretty weird because back in the day the Gameboy was never considered a console. Handhelds and consoles were two different sides of the same coin. They key differences were that it was portable and had its own screen whereas a console was stationary and plugged into a TV. The definition has clearly changed, but I am not sure when.

Its not rocket science although judging by the numbers who said yes I do wonder.

They are Handheld consoles. A console is the static type under your TV.

Even then, they considered themselves compact/portable systems (AKA consoles).