Counterpoint; Apple was already selling ~$600-700 Macs with the M1 MBA. If you weren't already in the market for one of those laptops, there is pretty much a 0% chance that these pared-back models will appeal to you.

Many people WERE in those markets, but this is a better fit because it is a modern chip. It's hard to recommend a 6 year old computer because the concern about support length is higher.