I don’t find it reasonable at all. Subsidized Subscriptions or api for cheaper models, is the best value.
But the future of AI is so uncertain, regarding model sizes. I don’t think making huge hardware investments is reasonable for individuals.
If you buy your own hardware, then after those four years you still have that hardware, and it likely still holds significant value. Plus you know the local model you're running today won't change or suddenly degrade in four months, let alone four years. Whereas after four years of paying subscriptions and API costs, you have literally nothing.
GPUs are holding value longer, for obvious reasons. But even a 5 year old PC or server will be out of warranty, full of NLA components, and will get pennies on the dollar of its original cost on the salvage market. Most businesses will have fully depreciated them and maybe expect to sell them for enough to cover the costs of disposal.
There are ways to salvage old machines even when there is 0 support left/available.
That statement made sense ten years ago, easily. Less now, though.
There is no ZDR at that price.
I would not let a non-local AI have access to my financial or health data.