Interesting thoughts. Personally, I think if Nintendo go the tablet route, there's no point doing half-measures.

They should give two sizes (7" & 10") with full controller already featured in the design so consumers have options. They should also go the Amazon route of having their own store and OS (or heavily modified Android); no Google Play or rival stores, just Nintendo licensed software (games, "fitness" apps, TV streaming etc.). It should also be able to play all Nintendo games (from NES to WiiU; from Game Boy to 3DS) whether by emulation, streaming or direct download.

As for hardware, I think 1080 should be minimum for a tablet, especially when you see the specs of other tablets out now.

Are there even 7 or 8 big titles on the Wii U to begin with? I mean theres 2 Mario games, DKC, Pikmin, but not too much else

Oh look, a less ergonomic Vita :p

As for the idea of A Nintendo tablet. I could see something like that being the next stage for their handheld family. The things Nintendo could do with a device with roughly the power of a Nexus 7 would be something pretty spectacular to see. They'd need to get their multimedia side a lot more in order though for something like that.

If it had the ability to "beam" the image to a TV, even just from an additional receiver that you purchase and also allowed you to use a traditional style pad (via bluetooth or whatever) I'm sure Nintendo could come up with a compelling alternative.

My thinking is the chipset would be a "stackable" ARM core and eventually about a year after launch there would be a Nintablet TV Dock which is a little like the Vita TV, it effectively would double the Nintablet chipset (so 2x the ARM cores, 2x the GPU, 2x the RAM) and that would allow you to run games on the TV in 1080P while at home. 

Then you could use it at home like a console (it could interface with Wiimotes and Pro Controllers and what not).

I can see two different sizes too, but initially I think a 5.5+ inch-ish LCD is a good enough size for games and tablet apps and keeps the initial price low. Later they could introduce a 8 inch XL version if they want.

Keeping the price low is key I think. Nintendo has big problems selling anything over $200-$250 it seems like. 

$199.99 for the system in 2015 and maybe $99 for the home TV dock (optional) in 2016 probably works well. 

But definitely a product line that's designed to grow over time and gives Nintendo the option of becoming a home play machine too if they want it to. 

I think Nintendo has 2 options.

1) A Tablet they can connect to the tv, this means, they would have only one console from now on. This would mean no droughts, because all the software would be for the same console.

2) A handheld that would be the best thing they could sell for USD150 from the first day without losing money + a console which would be the best thing they could sell for USD250 from the first day without losing money.
The console would be able to play the handheld games, and the handheld would be able to remote play console games.
Droughts would be lessened by people playing handheld games on the console.
It would also be attractive for people who want to play Pokemon on a big screen.

How the mighty have fallen. I cant believe I'm writing this.

Ill make it quick. Nintendo has the funds to ride out the Wii U for 5-6 years. It may pass GameCube numbers, may even fail to break 20 million. Doesn't matter anymore, Nintendo can still make a small profit.

What matters is that they use this time to not screw up next gen. They need to come out swinging and going for the jugular.

By next gen a DirectX12 level 1080p60fps tablet should be feasible and if implemented right could serve as a nice option for people who don't want to go cloud only if industry trend's are to believed. The system could use proprietary high capacity flash cards and digital distribution as its primary medium. The device can connect to HDTV s via HDMI or wireless HDMI. I'm not sure a dedicated home console will work for Nintendo ever again.

Problem is we have no idea what the iPad 15 or whatever will have on offer at that point.. Weather or not we'll have more Ouyas. Everything up in the damn air.

Sony tried something similar with the Xperia Play, creating a smartphone centered around gaming. It didn't work. I don't see this faring much better.

Sony doesn't have the IP Nintendo does or ability to make big selling portable games. The Xperia Play had no games lol to begin with. They should have supported that more than the Vita, IMO a stupid move on their part. The market for game-only/primary handhelds is fading, it doesn't fit people's lifestyle any more. 

Sony didn't make the Xperia Play, Sony Ericsson did. It may seem like a small detail, but SCEI didn't want them doing anything to do with PlayStation which is why it nowhere near touch it's potential.

If it had been a PlayStation phone, I think it would probably have fared much better.

Nintendo also have enough clout that a game console/phone hybrid from them could draw a pretty good market too.

In a market dominated by Apple, Samsung and other big technology brands (Sony, Asustek etc) it wouldn't be smart to make a tablet gaming device. That goes also to cell phones as well. Who, outside of a select few would want one instead of the latest and greatest tablet/smart device?

They either need to come back and make another stab at the home consoles; and not mess it up (plan out releases, make it desirable, market it properly). Or not bother with that altogether and embrace their strong point - portables. Cheap/affordable devices aimed at the younger demographics that adults can also pick up and enjoy. You won't see a young adult with Nintendo tablets or phones. There isn't a market for it.