"The high end model is about as much as a nettop."
So?
The high end model is a lot shinier than a nettop.
There's no way you could combine a RasPi-class card, some decent thin client software with local access too if required, and a shiny case, for less than the price of a ready-made shiny thing is there?
Oh.
Occasionally I wish I still had my DEC Multia/UDB. A bit bigger than these, but same concept.
The StrongARM-based follow-on [1] got cancelled following a conversation between Mr Palmer (then in charge of DEC) and a man whose name I forget, who said "You can be Larry's friend, or you can be my friend". What a choice :(
[1] Bitrot has deprived us of many definitive resources; http://www.shark-linux.de/shark.html still works, for now.