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ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Server are not funcationally equivalent. For example, you can publish image services to ArcGIS Server but not ArcGIS Online. The list goes on. ArcGIS Online is much more limited in what it supports.
The (hopefully brilliant) idea I have is to host my own JavaScript apps at home. I want to configure an application or two and use them as examples/demos in conjunction with my resume and host everything on a personal webserver.
My thinking is I could purchase an ArcGIS for Home Use license for map creation, publish services to ArcGIS Online, host the JavaScript, browser-based application on my home webserver and configure it to consume services from AGOL.
Is this something that would work or would I actually need ArcGIS for Server? Are there aspects I possibly don't know about/haven't thought of to make this idea work?
Also, can you tell me if it's been sorted out yet that when one pays for ArcGIS for Home Use they actually do receive an AGOL account? I remember reading last year there were some issues with that...
Very briefly, you can post feature services and tiled services to ArcGIS Online. IE. serve features or cached tiles.
If what you want to serve through a webmap falls into that category, then ArcGIS Online would probably be enough.
Besides the data you want to publish to ArcGIS Online, my feeling your biggest hurdle will be your "home web server". Does your current internet provider (IP) allow you to serve HTTP requests, can you open up your router/modem/firewall to serve those requests, does your IP assign you a dynamic or static IP address (or are you purchasing a domain and referencing it to your computer). I believe you can serve web content from a personal computer through most IP's, just note that some are more complicated than others to get setup. The alternative to hosting your own app is to host it in ArcGIS.com: http://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/create-maps/create-map-apps.htm
(apologies if you're already savvy to the whole hosting at home. I just consider it an area that most people wouldn't be familiar with. However, this point on serving content would be true for webapps, or if you installed ArcGIS Server on your home network.)
I'm not an expert, but I'd say "yes" based on this link: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgis-for-home: ArcGIS Online Named User account and 100 Service Credits
I haven't worked with BeagleBone, but if it can do php hosting, I dont see why it wouldn't be able to host a simple javascript app.
These tiny embedded PCs are great for projects like this (web hosting). With "google" and your "sysadmin" available, I think you should be quite successful. Looks like you'll even learn a little linux while you're at it.
Best of luck, I agree about how valuable hands on learning is.