[nix9000]

>What about the overhead of syncing your code to the server every time you make a change, and getting the binaries back to test? What if the network connection is bad?

A bad network connection is severely disruptive to almost all dev workflows so it's not a unique reason against remote development. The other factors you raise are not really relevant. The "overhead" of syncing code should be invisible with modern dev tools, and binaries should be built remotely anyway. I.e. the laptop should basically used as a thin client + web browser.

>What if you want to work from outside the office?

This is an argument in favor of remote development. When everything is on the cloud, it doesn't matter whether you are in the office, at home, or travelling.

[franciscop]

Absolutely no way, I often work remotely and can go for hours without even network connection and still be 100% productive, all in my MacbookAir which is not too expensive.

If you are outside the office, chances are your internet connection is not as good. The scenario given here where everything is in the cloud sounds like a nightmare for me.

[recursive]

What are these modern dev tools? I'm still using git. In order to send my code anywhere, I have to make a commit.