I love my NordicTrack. It's an old model, I push buttons and it goes. I have no idea why treadmills would ever need to be online. It doesn't even need a screen. Mine just has a shelf for your tablet to go on.
I have the 2450 with a 22” screen. While I can use it without the internet, I really enjoy running along with a trainer and virtually going to the most amazing places on the planet. I honestly won’t use it if I can’t have that feature.
Yes, I’m sure it’s a great feature for some people, but that doesn’t excuse a device being non-functional without that account. Hopefully there is a big warning somewhere but I doubt it
In addition to what SCB said, it also changes elevation and speed along with the trainer. It’s pretty impossible to replace this experience with YouTube.