You aren’t wrong. But what you just described is exactly why most companies choose thin clients.

No customization, no unauthorized software installs, no distractions for staff and they will just run forever without major updates. All IT has to do is maintain a server or offsite cloud environment.

Would I personally want one… no. But I can see this as an alternative to non techie people who just need a cheap computer for email, web browsing and the occasional word document.

The only real case I can think of where people like thin clients is when they move between stations. I worked at a hospital that used them and it was a fantastic solution. A doctor/nurse/whatever could walk up to any station, beep their ID, and a couple second later their session would load up. It was a huge pain in the ass to build and maintain though. These new devices might actually have a benefit there. Managing W365 through Azure/Intune is leagues easier than managing Citrix with Windows VM pools.