Microsoft Dev Box: Your Cloud-Based Development Environment

Years ago, back when working from home wasn’t even a thing, a developer’s work depended entirely on their (desktop) computer assigned at the office — and remote access simply wasn’t an option. The next step was remote desktop access, which allowed you to connect to your office machine — but that machine had to be powered on and connected to the internet.

Today, most developers work from anywhere with their own laptop. But with the resources we have available now… wouldn’t it be better if our entire workstation lived directly in the cloud?

That’s exactly what Microsoft Dev Box offers.

Is it more convenient than using my own laptop?

Well, if we’re talking strictly about convenience — probably not. For starters, it depends on being connected to the internet (although, let’s be honest, most laptops do too).

However, the big advantage is that you can offload the heavy lifting to the cloud, meaning you’re not limited by your laptop’s processing power.

So why should I use it?

You don’t have to — but it can be really helpful in specific scenarios.

For example: When working on large teams that need a consistent, pre-configured development environment, when you need an environment that’s dynamically scalable, so you don’t have to keep upgrading or switching hardware or when you want to onboard new developers quickly with prebuilt environments.

What do I need to use it?

First, you’ll need an Azure subscription. Then, you can create a Dev Box directly from the Azure Portal.

Keep in mind: you may need a few licenses to work with your Dev Box (your company can provide these). Many Microsoft 365 subscriptions already include Windows and Office licenses, so chances are you already have what you need.

How do I get started?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set it up: Quickstart Guide

Do you like the idea of working in the cloud, or do you prefer sticking to your local machine?