Comment by mitthrowaway2 a day ago
If you can't afford the electricity to afford to run the model on free hardware, you'd certainly never be able to afford the subscription to the same product as a service!
But anyway, the trick is to run it in the winter and keep your house warm.
I don't think I am. I don't think economies of scale on hardware will drive costs below free, and while subscription providers might be willing to offer services below the cost of the hardware that runs them, I don't think they'll offer services below the cost of the electricity that runs them.
And while data centers might sign favorable contracts, I don't think they are getting electricity that far below retail.
I think you're underestimating economies of scale, and today's willingness of large corporations to provide cutting-edge services at a loss.