That's the biggest reason the Wii U failed: The majority of people didn't even understand what it was. Most just assumed the Wii U was just a new accessory for the Wii, but in reality it was another console altogether.
He is a normal console, which is the boxy thing, but the controller have a touch screen. The dual screen and touch controls were its gimmick, just like the DS, and the gamepad (the controller name) also had a camera, microphone and motion controls, and the whole console were retrocompatible with Wii remotes. One of the most advertized feature was the asymetrical local coop, where one player would use the screen on the gamepad, and the others would use the TV while playing the Wii remote.
I think it was a good idea, and I really liked mine, but combining the confusing product name, the company's inability to make proper adversiting and the lack of third party support made it one of Nintendo's biggest failures.