Hanhelds are consoles.

Not home consoles... Handheld consoles (Or portable consoles).

Home consoles - Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Xbox, Gamecube... Etc.

Handheld consoles/Portable consoles - 3DS, DS, PSP, GBA, GB... Etc.

At least that's how I look at it these days.

I think Maxwell did some stealth editing.

Just for the sake of simplicity, I think they shouldn't be considered consoles. What I mean is that by definition, they definitely are consoles but usually when we're discussion 'console sales', we mean home consoles, not all consoles. Then there's always the one smartass who doesn't understand the actual meaning. The same goes for PS3/360 comparisons when someone wants to tell how Wii is first and the HD consoles are still so far behind. True, but usually completely irrevelant to the topic at hand.

lol, THAT is the danger of using wikipedia as a source for definitions. Somebody can just freakin' change it.

I believe all of those would be considered consoles

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/console

b : a combination of readouts or displays and an input device (as a keyboard or switches) by which an operator can monitor and interact with a system (as a computer or dubber)

I think that traditionally, in terms of video games, "console" has referred to a device that connects to a display (usually a television) for the primary purpose of playing video games.  A portable video game device simply combines this "console" and the display itself into one convenient unit, thus a "portable console."

so if they are by definition consoles(of course they are, being able to move something around does not change the entire nature of the object, IE a car with no wheels is still a car), then why must we adhere to the whims of those who are too lazy to specify which subset of console(home or portable) gaming they are discussing.

I love gaming, and portable gaming is no less important or entertaining than home gaming, and I don't like the implication of not calling the consoles, consoles. It seems like a ploy to marginalize that specific type of console and de-emphasize its importance..

You can also hook up the portable consoles to displays and play them that way. So yeah....definition confirmed.

its home console
and handheld
... ive always considered them in very different categories...
to me putting them to gather is like including pcs in the home console category...
its always bothered me just a bit when we consider the handhelds in the same generation/group on this site...

rant off topic
also just a smaller nit pick ive felt the dsi should be separate form the ds, due to the change in carts it can take, and that games made for it cant be played on the launch ds... if they made an add on for the launch ds that allowed it to play dis games, i might let my first grip slide,  but the two together bother me. killing part of the back catalog and forcing a system up date seem like a new console to me (i exclude perfieals from this move, eye toy, kintech, the nintendo card reader thing for hand helds all dont bother me)  … the 3ds to me should be counted as a separate system.  as should the 3ds & pspsgo… sorry for the rant just a weird thing ive been thinking about.

edit
to me its like the switch from game boy to game boy color, thats a switch  where it should be counted as different systems for sales for me. where the gameboy - gameboy, gameboypocket & gameboy light can all be counted together .. similar to the way one would count the ps1 versions, the ps2 versions, ps3 versions, and xbox 360 versions together

A portable computer is not a computer.