Because Im currently typing this on mine (1 GiB, android install) and everything is (very surprisingly) rock solid – page loading is very smooth, youtube playback is smooth as well (it can even play 4k videos no problem) and even gaming works flawlessly well (Haven`t went too far beyond PS1 games, but from PS1 and under it plays everything really well.).
In short – It delivers a desktop experience at the expense of almost nothing with the power draw at that same level – 1W (best case scenario) to 3W(worst case scenario).
I have the 4GB model. It’s a really nice little board for the price. Currently have Debian 12 installed. I have the Orange Pi camera module and am using it in conjunction with the board, OpenCV, and a wild bird model data set to detect different kinds of birds outside my window at the bird feeder. I don’t have a desktop installed so I can’t speak to that. I’d say judging by the pics it’s about 50% accurate so far. The graininess of the photos from the camera module and the distance from the bird feeder have a lot to do with the poor performance. Using a higher end USB camera should help with this.
A big bonus with this board is it has 4 temp sensors, and you will need them. Like all OPi boards, heat is an issue. You will need sinks and active cooling if you would like to use this for extended periods of time without roasting it.
That’s awesome as hell!