It’s true that there are alternatives, like a used mini-PC, or an Orange Pi. On the other hand, you can just wait a bit. It’s not the same situation with the Pi 4 being perpetually out of stock for years. That was because of ongoing chip shortages during the pandemic, and the subsequent backlog, which is no longer an issue. This is just because it’s a new product, so there are a ton of pre-orders. Some of those are scalpers who are thinking that the availability will remain low, and sustain stupid prices, but I think they’ll be disappointed. Once the initial rush is cleared out, it should be fine.
It’s true that there are alternatives, like a used mini-PC, or an Orange Pi. On the other hand, you can just wait a bit. It’s not the same situation with the Pi 4 being perpetually out of stock for years. That was because of ongoing chip shortages during the pandemic, and the subsequent backlog, which is no longer an issue. This is just because it’s a new product, so there are a ton of pre-orders. Some of those are scalpers who are thinking that the availability will remain low, and sustain stupid prices, but I think they’ll be disappointed. Once the initial rush is cleared out, it should be fine.