A Switch that can't Switch. You also lose portable local multiplayer. I don't see it happening. Smaller model maybe but not HH only. 

Depends on what you consider a lot.If it didnt have a game of the same (or close) caliber like BOTW, it would still have sold well, but I dont think it would have reached Nintendo sales expectations.

And your comparison with the PS4 is wrong.While the hardware itself was desirable, it compensated the lack of a high quality game or games with sheer quantity.Switch didnt had this, but it wasnt a problem because it had that one extremely high quality game.And people bought the Switch because it was a desirable product AND it had a desirable game.A gaming device sells based on its software.If it didnt have games worth buying for, it wouldnt have sold this well.The same can be said with the hardware.If it has a horrible design behind it, people will be hesitant to buy it.See Wii U as a clear example of it.In the end, it had excellent games, but since the hardware itself was faulty, it didnt do well.For the software side, look at the 3DS.The 3DS was( at the very least at the time) a compelling piece of hardware, but since it launched with shitty software, it sales only picked up when compelling software appeared(3D Land and Mario Kart 7, if Im not mistaken).

Its not a either this or that scenario.The videogame industry, in this regard, is very different from everything else.You cant have a 0 on one side(hardware) and a 10 on the other side(software) or vice versa.One side can be stronger than the other, but ultimetely you need to have a balance of both, even though the software side is more important in the end.And yes, people mostly bought(at least early on) because of Zelda.Just look at the insane attach rate for BOTW on Switch in march for proof.If people just wanted the hardware that wouldnt happen.You are subestimmating the appeal that BOTW had and has.

No need for that, the shortages will continue even if this shipment is spread out well. It only leaves about six million for each major territory. Even the 3DS was over 17 million shipped by the end of its first fiscal year.

Not when Vita 2 comes along with all its ultraflops!

. Nintendo could simply release super Mario 3D land, Mario Marker, Bayonetta 1/2, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Super Smash Brothers, Super Mario Bro Wii U (with all the DLC) and each of those would sell at the very least 2-3 million units without much effort.

While they rerelease those titles they can sit back, polish games that were developed direct for the switch and ride the second and third wave of it's life on easy Street while still release games that everyone considers system sellers.

Bingo - Wii U's failure is the best thing that happen to Switch. Just like Sony could cancel PS3 version of TLoU and push it as PS4 launch title.

But Sony would then miss out on potential double-dippers.