Ok, so I'm thinking of selling my PC soon in an attempt to simplify my life a bit.

I'm tired of stressing out over some game that I know I will never complete and I find development these days to be a very isolated experience and somewhat detrimental to my mental health. I'm in the process of uploading my projects (completed and uncompleted) to sourceforge under an open source license.

I just wanted to know if you guys think it is still possible to be good software developer without actually owning a home PC? Granted it is what I do for a living :(

Cheers.

Depends on what your work environment is, I suppose. If it allows you to grow as a developer, then maybe. If it's simply a day job manufacturing software, then not so much.

Would you still have access to a PC? If so in what capacity. What do you do at Work?

The best way to get better at some thing is to do it, alot (in specific ways). Not owning a PC makes it alot more difficult to do that in certain situations.

This being said, my co-worker does not own a computer in his household. (However we are spending 10 hours every day at work on the computer), he is a very good software developer. I on the other hand do own a PC although rarely use it (mostly a dedicated Netflix-Box right now), because all the stuff I work on requires me to be at work.

If you are planning on working on Commercial Software, working on other peoples Hardware can open up a whole can of worms.

To get better the only thing that matters is having Access to a PC (and being able to work on relevant stuff). Whether you need to own one or not is dependent on your situation.

So what, like, they own a Mac? That's okay =) But anyway yeah, it's possible to be a good developer without owning a PC or coding at home in your spare time, as long as you challenge yourself in your work environment.

I on the other hand do own a PC although rarely use it (mostly a dedicated Netflix-Box right now), because I just work on my side projects at the office (as its easier for me to get shit done).

That's not recommended, unless you are working on side-projects for work. Most contracts would stipulate that everything you make on their machines, is theirs. You're basically using company resources to do the work.

That's not recommended, unless you are working on side-projects for work. Most contracts would stipulate that everything you make on their machines, is theirs. You're basically using company resources to do the work.

Ah yes I probably should of clarirified, yes I meant Side Work Projects/ Tech Demo kind of stuff. Updated

Yeah unless otherwise confirmed, assume that anything you create using an employers resources is owned by them. Thats why you need to be very careful with what you are using other peoples hardware for.

Would you still have access to a PC? If so in what capacity. What do you do at Work?

I use to work in the games industry but now work for a general software company, I have full access to a PC at my work, limited to between Monday and Friday. I doubt they would let me work on side projects that weren't to do with work as ferrous mentioned, but I could be wrong on this.

That being said, I don't really want to take on any new projects based on the amount of time I spent of my last one and the lack of success it had.

To be a good software developer, you need to be developing software, whether that's your PC at home, work or library doesn't matter. The question then can you build software on other PCs?

There was time when computers where size of small houses and some how there were talented programmers. Personal computer isn't that old thing. Just try to get some reading where the scene is going.(books or web)

I just wanted to know if you guys think it is still possible to be good software developer without actually owning a home PC?

Anything is possible (except time travel to the past and the Star Trek holodeck).

I believe we are in an arms race of stimulation-heavy games. Going the other end, situationally deep and well thought out games, are closer to the roots of all genres and are harder to execute when all roads lead to shallower, entrenched avenues of schools of thought of game development. While, you're at it, join a new-Luddite religious cult. Just kidding. Good luck,