It feels as if an older RPi like the 4 with a bunch of USB drives would fare just as well, be cheaper, have more expandability, have better software support, as well as a greater community.

This isn't to say RPi is perfect, even next to a cheap mini PC they are getting harder to justify, but this new one adds nothing to the table.

I followed,  supported and even purchased devices on startups.  They have always collected more funds, never met deadlines never delivered products on-time and locked in support and performance.  In conclusion were waste of money... except for developers which got rich quickly.