There is speculation that Nintendo's next console may be a merged home/portable system.  I question this strategy because I think a lot of customers bought both a Wii and DS, and will by both a Wii U and 3DS.  However, there is the argument that it could be a system that would please everyone.  It would be a system that would tap into the massive popluarity of Nintendo protables and bring it into the living room.  It could also potentially fend off new challengers from Samsung or Apple.

So, if in 5 years Nintendo launched a powerful, portable, TV connected, gamepad supported console, would it dominate?  This system would take advantage of advances in technology as we see every year in tablets in smartphones to deliver the kind of experience you would expect from a true home console.  It might have a docking station of some kind to make it both portable and capable.  It would have the full 3rd party support of 3DS, and also all of Nintendo's combined software support behind it.  Would it work?

So, basically an overpowered handheld and underpowered console? I don't see how that'll be competitive at all.

I also don't have any market research/data, but my intuition tells me that the handheld market mainly is for young children who don't have a smartphone yet (the only portable computer they have is a DS), and that consoles are for both young children and young adults. I don't see really see the gain from merging the two categories together. They already have the young children, and I think Nintendo can protect their ownership on that segment.

I don't see, again, how an underpowered home console and overpowered portable is going to bring in the young adults.

sounds like a good idea for this guy

The Wii U is pretty much the combination of both.

I don't see why anyone is speculating this. Combining two of their products won't bring in more income, it'll bring in less. (In the long run.) Business is all about money and... this wouldn't suddenly give them more of it.

Honestly, doing this would be a really smart move, if the Wii U doesn't get much 3rd party support. The system could be like a more powerful 3DS with an HDMI port, that could plug into the TV when playing at home. When it's plugged in, the games could be played with a controller similar to the Wii U controller. This would combine the two userbases, and increase first party and 3rd party software sales by a lot. It would also help give their home console more 3rd party support. However, it would have to cost no more than $200.

I don't think it's a bad idea. It would be good because they can just focus on games for a single system, the problem is how powerful should it be?

I'm not sure what you mean by that. A 4DS you can connect to tv? lol

Possible scenarios:
1. The console is as powerful as the Vita and sells for $250 and $50-$100 for controller, dock, cables, etc. This console will be weaker than PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360 and more expensive than 3DS, Vita. It will sell worse than the Vita.
2. The console is more powerful than the Vita and sells for more then $350. This will sell even worse than #1
3. The console is less powerful than the Vita and costs less than #1. The console's performance is not even remotely close to the PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360. It mainly functions as a handheld, with it's TV-out functionality as popular as the PSP's.

No it wouldn't. The idea is stupid.