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Is there any know cloud computer solutions out there that lets me install development software like C# Visual Studio 2008?

im looking for a solution that lets me log in from both work, home or at a Hotel to keep working on the same projects.

4 Answers 4

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You can create ASP.NET applications (web forms, MVC, etc) with a cloud based solution called CodeRun which looks and acts much like Visual Studio. Here is a 3 minute video describing how the IDE works.

Hope this helps you some.

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  • very nice, this migth help alot.
    – Darkmage
    Jan 8, 2010 at 9:57
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Cloud is not really the correct term for this. I would define "cloud" as a automatic fail over, load balanced, resilient environment that is suited to hosting websites, SQL, CDNs(content delivery networks) and SaaS (Software as a service).

What you want is "possible" on a cloud infrastructure such as Amazon EC2, but not really cost effective.

What you really want and I highly recommend is a Virtual Private Server or a Dedicated Server. Many hosting companies offer these and it is really up to you to find the specification that meets your needs then install it yourself.

However, if you are talking about logging in from various places, I take it you will be taking a laptop or similar with you - you may be better off just installing Visual Studio on that and using a (free) service such as Mesh or Dropbox to keep all your files synchronised.

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  • The cost effectiveness of Amazon EC2 can actually be relatively low if you stop your instances when not using them. EC2 now supports EBS root partitions so you don't loose your files and OS settings when the instance is stopped. Jan 7, 2010 at 21:38
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Depending on the setup of your computer you primarily use for development, you might be able to use Remote Desktop or VNC to access that computer from anywhere.

There are even professional paid solutions like GoToMyPC that would be able to set this up for you.

If you don't mind carrying a portable harddrive with you, you could also set up a virtual machine and install Visual Studio on it. I personally recommend VirtualBox, and I actually have a Windows 7 "guest" I use for development, running on a Windows XP "host".

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They now have companies that allow users to have a graphics card in the server machine allowing the user to play the game of their choice with a top spec machine at a fraction of the price of buying a new one - so of course you can develop on a cloud architecture although I would question the point. I've done this myself a few times when I've needed to - e.g. when my employer has bought a new rack server and wants to test it.

It makes sense to get a hosted cloud server with a decent amount of memory (4 gig at least for 2010) and at least Core 2 duo processor at 2.5GHz. You need one with RDP access - and I can recommend (along with Roy Osherove on Dot Net Talks) the use of Amazon EC2. The further ahead you hire a spec, the cheaper you get the price at.

If you have superfast broadband and like to renew your PC regularly to give you decent performance, check it out - or try Windows Azure.

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