at those form factors, they were quite price competitive.
Yes many alternatives cost less, but if you want to tape them to the back of a TV that generates heat and has to be turned on 24/7 to display advertisements, video,..., they were cheapest by far.
Or in meeting rooms to display zoom/teams, ... A raspberry pi just doesn't handle those scenario's
I've fount the weakest link is usually the microsd cards... I've tended towards usb drives, but ymmv of course. I also switched to intel mini pcs, that offer a lot more when the gouging was happening over covid.
Yes many alternatives cost less, but if you want to tape them to the back of a TV that generates heat and has to be turned on 24/7 to display advertisements, video,..., they were cheapest by far.
Or in meeting rooms to display zoom/teams, ... A raspberry pi just doesn't handle those scenario's