I would like to add that I would preferred if they had actual built upon the success of the Wii combined motion control/standard button controller myself.

So imagine two the Wii Nunchucks. The left one exactly the same as before but with an added D pad. The right one would keep the Control stick and the lower of two Z shoulder buttons. A motion plus device would be in place of the higher Z shoulder button and 4 face button would also added as well. Their would be connector between the two Nunchucks so it can form game pad when required.

I made a crude prototype picture using Gamecube controller as base, to give a rough idea of what I am suggesting.

It's the best comprise I can think of having the standard game-pad and motion controls at the same time. Something like would have made the Wii U a lot cheaper and have 1 definitive control scheme instead of 3 we got now.

can you watch twitchtv using the gamepad??

Anybody thats played Zombi U or Ninty land will see the potential of the gamepad, and what it can bring to the table, especially for local multiplayer. The gamepad is also useful as a stand alone tablet for browsing and multi-tasking. The underrated off tv play is also such a usefull feature in my household.
I think the gamepad was designed very much with Miiverse in mind,with ease of typing out messages and drawing pictures etc.Future upgrades to miiverse also point to this, Like being able to add a photo and the introduction of the colour pastels like art academy.
In the future certain hit DS franchises could be viable on Wii U like Proffessor Layton perhaps? and maybe smartphone and tablet games will become available cheap on E shop, especially as Nintendo are courting the indie devs. A lot of these type of games will utilize some form of touchscreen controls.

I freaking love it - but it does have SO much untapped potential.

Off t.v. play is probably the best feature.

for me its to big and confusing looking at 2 screens. i almost find it pointless. however i think its the design which is the issue here. make is smaller/thinner and sexy ;)

A PSvita but with control pads.

I mainly use the gamepad for offscreen play. That said it's well worth it. In my house, I have to compete with TV time so being able to play full scale console games without need for the TV is awesome.

kinda, propper controller pads each side and just a screen avout Vita size in the middle would have been awsome 

The idea of off-screen play is genius, I absolutely love the idea. I hope that PS4+PSV and Wii U all start selling like cupcakes soon so that devs actually give us awesome games using the two screens.