@jalcine
Yes, system76 and purism are expensive. I think they would love to bring their prices down but don't have that economy of scale yet. Lowering their prices to more competitive levels would likely put them out if existence. Hopefully over time they gain popularity and get more affordable.
Mycroft is actually more promising in this respect. The cost is more on par with the competitors and they also make it possible to run on your own hardware like a raspberry pi.