I wouldn't call my $2k Strix Halo computer "massively expensive", and it runs e.g. Qwen 3.6 27b brilliantly, with tons of memory to spare and is a full x86 powerhouse pulling 120w at absolute max.

IMO the programming world is far too myopic about / insistent on using laptops, especially macbooks. Just because a crappy deal exists doesn't mean everyone is forced to take it. Local AI is a high performance computing problem and laptops are fundamentally a crappy form factor for it; buy an efficient desktop computer and be surprised at what's possible even with today's crazy prices.