> __These days__ a 175 GBP N95 from a no-name Chinese OEM on Amazon, with 16 GB of RAM and a 500GB SATA SSD is way better value and performance - and importantly - zero fuss - standard setup.

"These days" seems to be over for now. The prices went up there, and now the only affordable option is an old laptop's motherboards with DDR3 sticks. But passively cooled PCs are rare, so the Raspberry Pi still makes sense. As a bonus, it is easier to power and find a small UPS that will keep it running for hours.