You could install Linux on the NUC, too. x86 support isn't inherently a bad thing, surely.
As for the part about development being as easy as a Windows x86 box; the same could be said about Linux on the Raspberry Pi. It's the same OS you'd run on an x86 box.
Just seems like an apples/oranges comparison. Like others have commented, seems like a lot of 'tech journalists' seem to assume small form factor == Raspberry Pi competitor/alternative.