I think that’s the real distinction: the Pi isn’t interesting as a "cheap desktop", it’s interesting because of GPIO + the huge ecosystem of HATs, sensors, and

I think that’s the real distinction: the Pi isn’t interesting as a "cheap desktop", it’s interesting because of GPIO + the huge ecosystem of HATs, sensors, and weird little projects. If you just want a small, cheap computer, x86 boxes are better in every way. But if you want something you can hook wires to, fry once in a while, and find 20 blog posts about someone doing the same, Pi still has a niche that’s hard to replicate. All I’m saying is that Pi projects can get really expensive if you want to do anything beyond a basic install like Pi-hole and leave it as-is. Even simpler projects - say, connecting a motor or a servo require additional components like a power module or distribution board, which quickly adds up.