Oh, there's no question that local Apache and Node servers can be valuable tools, but if you're trying to teach your reader something that doesn't strictly require them, why risk alienating people who aren't familiar? How many people who just want to learn how two way binding works are going to see a Node.js server as a "requirement" and move on?
I will admit, using all these tools was initially intimidating for me, but getting comfortable with them was extremely rewarding.