[quote name='SaraAB']I do believe the constant revisions already hurt the 3DS sales since a lot of people are just saying they don't want to buy the first version of any console now because there will be another, better system out in a short while. I seriously feel like I want to throw up at the thought of each redesigned Nintendo handheld now, its just disgusting that companies put out products that they KNOW have flaws only so that they can release a better product later on and then cause the consumers to buy it yet again!! Its so incredibly obvious that they will just keep remaking the hardware.... I am not even sure that I want to buy a Nintendo handheld again since as soon as I buy it, its gonna be obsolete anyways! Yes I know all tech is like that but Nintendo seem to be incredibly vicious with the redesigns. I guess the only thing to do is to not buy it until the final revision is out.[/QUOTE]
Firstly, it's not so much that they put out flawed systems on purpose, it's just that parts/components become cheaper and they continue working to try and
find ways to
make the system better. With the money they save with the stuff becoming cheaper(and smaller, literally, in some cases), they're able to make a more streamlined product and use the savings to spend on R&D to throw in new features/additions, or simply making the product smaller, to even changing screen size or speaker quality.
Secondly, yes, all technology becomes outdated all too quickly and it can be quite hard to keep up. But, no, Nintendo is not incredibly "vicious" with redesigns. For the sake of staying on topic, let's just take a look at video game consoles. The DS had a total of 3 redesigns over a course of 6 years with it being current gen, with the next to last adding actual new and usable features. The PSP, by comparison, in the same amount of time now has had 4 redesigns(the last only just been announced, for europe only it seems, for the time being), with none of those adding new usable features - only console and screen size(unless you want to count the hard drive that the GO added, but I think that doesn't count as much as cameras and a digital shop - which are what the DSi added). Look at the home consoles, PS3/360 have each had only 1 redesign each, but there's been countless numbers of consoles released with varying hard drives(again, not really a console revision per se) - to not even having one at all in the 360's case. The Wii has only just now have a redesign in the works(also being a european exclusive, it would seem). Going back through history, only one Gamecube - there were two PS2's. Only one N64 - there were two PS1's. Sure, there were plenty of gameboys, but they were the only one in the handheld market for the most part so there's no comparisons that can be drawn.
And besides all of that, handhelds are the one thing that I think
should be redesigned semi-frequently(though not this quick, if the rumors do turn out to be true), just look at how many cell phones there are out there and how much they all get redone.

No one really cares much when the next newest, greatest phone comes out... We just all know that we want it.