Why would switching machines prove to be a hindrance to customisation? The configuration files are still nothing but source code text, which could be version controlled and deployed anywhere with little automation, it's really no different from deploying software that you are writing.
Customising everything 100% to my liking is not only possible, but also takes very minimal effort. Detect if it's home desktop, or work laptop, or something completely new, and do something accordingly, what is complicated about a conditional block? Elisp is a normal language with all normal logical abstractions available.
I concede about remote box, I mostly work over ssh in terminal too. Except Tramp is also like really easy. To the point that if I need to use git, I almost always use local Magit over Tramp. This way I am not compromising, Magit is best in its class kind of tool, and I don't even need to install Emacs in remote box to use that.
first time i used tramp it felt like magic, i thought in this age where connecting multiple nodes, vpns, virtual-systems so common that everyone in interent-business would use tramp. but all i could see was people wrestling with ssh, scp, tmux/screen, lots of terminals...
Customising everything 100% to my liking is not only possible, but also takes very minimal effort. Detect if it's home desktop, or work laptop, or something completely new, and do something accordingly, what is complicated about a conditional block? Elisp is a normal language with all normal logical abstractions available.
I concede about remote box, I mostly work over ssh in terminal too. Except Tramp is also like really easy. To the point that if I need to use git, I almost always use local Magit over Tramp. This way I am not compromising, Magit is best in its class kind of tool, and I don't even need to install Emacs in remote box to use that.