Personally I find it overly complicated and super super slow. Lots of great parts but finding them is a challenge. Also its multitasking is just weird. Anyway what do you think of it? For clarification I am not bashing, I'm just trying to understand my new console.

Extremely slow, I tend to avoid it. Start game, ignore the rest.

The wifi antenna in the WiiU is very weak which makes the connection crap out all the time. Using any of the online features is extremely frustrating.
Talking about wifi, can anyone recommend a good wifi repeater? Link with my router in the basement over 5ghz Wireless-N and broadcast a fresh b/g wifi signal into the living room. Is that possible?

Laptops can usually do that but I'm not sure how good the quality is. I use mhotspot

"Nintendo’s interface is blatantly Japanese, and it lacks any and all sophistication"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=152173&page=1

My router is right next to my TV/Wii U and I don't experience my connection crapping out at all.  Having your router in the basement sounds like the problem.  Bring it upstairs. 

Slow? What do you mean, exactly? Closing out or opening different features? Or just everything in general? I thought the Wii U had a ton of RAM dedicated to the OS?

Multi task? What are you expecting to multi task with? The most you can multi task with the Wii U is by loading Miiverse or Internet Browser while having something else loaded (like a game or Netflix/Hulu+). You can't have two games going at once.  To be able to switch to Miiverse or the Browser while in a game or streaming service works fine with me. 

Also, UI over complicated?  It makes me wonder if you even have a Wii U. 

It could be possible because, it is not rocket science. So take it easy mate. Approach with a positive frame of mind.

it's slow but that's what you get when you have lots of ram, you do sloppy programming. but this will change probably in a couple of months

Thanks, that actually works. It shows up with the same nr of bars as the router, with the laptop on the other side of the room where it usually sits, but so far it is working better then a direct connection.