The AmigaOne X-1000 can only create a niche for itself if it can be shown to do something better or different than any competing computer, and that has not been demonstrated yet (I hope it will be shown). Just running AmigaOS4.1 faster than a SAM or Pegasos2 is not going to be enough to make it a success. More developers and software is a must, I agree!
Define success. Will it compete with cheap PC's? No.
But neither does Macs, and they still sell. My 350 GBP laptop is faster than 3-4 times as expensive Macbook Pro... Yet I can still see why people buy it: For the experience.
I'm not expecting the X1000 to give Apple a run for their money. But it doesn't take more than a few thousand sold units before it'd be a tremendous success for such a small community.
I want one for the experience; the X1000 got me "back in the fold" (currently with a Minimig + UAE on my laptop + AROS on my laptop, but waiting to get an X1000, and hopefully also either a Natami or FPGAArcade whenever they're ready...)
Don't underestimate nostalgia, btw. A large part of ex-Amigans are now in our 30's, with disposable income and closing in on midlife crises
My brother was over last weekend, and I handed him a retro pack from Amigakit as a birthday present and he told me he'd just been looking at Amiga stuff on Youtube the other day, by pure coincidence...
Keep in mind there are about 5 million ex-Amigans. If just 1% can be convinced to give a new machine a try, whether for nostalgia or other reasons, that's 50k. Even 0.1% is 5k. Some of us will be developers (I am).
The more competitive (in terms of performance) machines will come *if* machines like the X1000 and the new SAM 460 sells well enough. In the meantime Hyperion will keep bringing the OS closer to modern expectations. One step at a time.