Game Development with the Surface Pro 3
When it comes to my development environment I'm a rather picky person. It's taken me awhile to get all the pieces in place, but I finally have a set up that I'm pretty happy with.
My background with web development led me to have an Apple laptop in various forms for years. They are great computers albeit I think they are a little too pricey. Luckily Apple products retain their value for a pretty long time and last week I sold my Macbook Pro in favour for the Surface Pro 3.
This 'laplet' has been rad and having a great balance of features while still keeping me mobile. Here's my setup at home:
Surface Pro 3
Surface Pro 3 Dock
External Monitor
Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard
Microsoft Arc Bluetooth Touch Mouse Surface Edition
Full installation of Windows 10
The SP3 functions like a full laptop and not as a consumer focused device like the iPad. I can install any Windows 10 compatible software without having the go through an app store, or use some weird tablet version of popular software like Photoshop.
Surface Pro Dock
This is one of my favourite accessories, it allows me to plug all my external devices directly into the dock. The SP3 just snaps in and out and everything connects seemlessly. No fiddling with wires to hook up the monitor, plug in controllers, or setup a keyboard.
Art Creation
The stylus and the use of the kickstand on the SP3 allow it to double as an art station. I can create assets by drawing directly on the surface of the SP3.
Visual Studio
A fantastic IDE that helps me program games in C#. Unity 5.2 now comes with built-in VS integration.
Portability
I've taken the SP3 to various exhibitions to showcase my game [AsterVoid](http://madcapacity.itch.io/astervoid) and my setup is so light weight and easy to transport. Carrying the SP3 at game conference all day doesn't break my back.
Little gamers playing #astervoid at Maker Faire at Telus Spark! #games #gamedev
A video posted by Justin Luk (@madcapable) on Sep 13, 2015 at 10:14am PDT
Conclusion
It's surreal - over the past 2 or 3 months I've some how become a massive Microsoft fanboy. I attribute it all to the smooth workflow that the SP3 allows me to achieve. Considering how many different hats an indie developer is required to wear, the Surface Pro 3 is easily my favourite tool to create with. I'm super excited for the SP4 that's supposedly going to be announced next month.
If you have any questions about my setup feel free to contact me. Thanks for reading!
