Developing apps with App Inventor using Chromebooks

[Patricia Clark]

Hello,

• We are using a Nexus-7 tablets (2013). 
• I've updated the companion app to Version 2.55.
• The Android version is 6.0.1.

At the start of this school year there have been lots of difficulties connecting Chromebooks to the companion - things get stalled out in the upload process ("for instance "91%").

At other times everything works smoothly with the Chromebook/Companion/MIT-Server connecting process.

I have been using these tablets for several years for the Mobile CSP course and have not experienced the current difficulties to this degree.  Do I need to upgrade Android to a more recent version?  Should I look into getting new tablets if the Android upgrade is not practical/doable?

Thank you for your time.

Pat Clark

[Patricia Clark]

SteveJG

12:18 PM (1 hour ago)

Hello Pat,

Your question is about developing apps with App Inventor using Chromebooks  (The best way to get help is to start a new topic, this Forum discussion is about something unrelated to your issues)

That said, "there have been lots of difficulties connecting Chromebooks to the companion - things get stalled out in the upload process ("for instance "91%"). At other times everything works smoothly with the Chromebook/Companion/MIT-Server connecting process." and "have not experienced the current difficulties to this degree. "

This sounds like:

1) an issue with your school network capacity to handle multiple large projects.  Do you have a larger class size than previously?  

2) students testing large Projects and then the server timing out..Do all projects stall out or only large Projects?   If these are large Projects, the main server is timing out probably.  What browser are you using?   Instead of Chrome, possibly use Firefox.

A potential cure is to minimize the size of uploaded music and images.   

Your Nexus Tablets should be fine and compatible with nb179 and Companion 2.55.

If this is an issue of too many users on an overworked network, you might test by running some of the Projects not during a class and see if they behave properly.  If you do that, what happens?   An improvement or ?

Regards,

Steve

[Patricia Clark]

Hi Steve,

Thank you for your response.

I went into school today (Sunday) to test the school network's ability to run an App Inventor project.

All 3 attempts using a laptop + chrome  (connected via WIFI) and 3 different Android tablets all worked.  It did seem like the response time seemed to be not as fast as in earlier years.  The uploads were slowing progressing through the "percentage accomplished" but eventually were all successful.

So, when school is in session it makes sense that the network would be taxed and could be the issue.  

This sounds like:

1) an issue with your school network capacity to handle multiple large projects.  Do you have a larger class size than previously?  

1)  the class sizes this year are smaller than they have been in the past

-------------

2) students testing large Projects and then the server timing out..Do all projects stall out or only large Projects?   If these are large Projects, the main server is timing out probably.  What browser are you using?   Instead of Chrome, possibly use Firefox.

2)  the projects are the "I Have a Dream App" that is at the start of the Mobile CSP curriculum.  It includes jpeg's and mp4 files.  I can have the students try a bare-bones project that have no large resources included.

The students are on Chromebooks and use Chrome as the server.  I will have them experiment with Firefox.

Thank you for your quick response !!!

Pat

[SteveJG]

Great detective work.

I suspect part of the issue is the ability of your school's network to support a lot of projects. Your detective works seems to support this theory This slow loading is not only an issue of your classes but perhaps the entire school.  If others are running word processors, spread sheets, streaming audio or video inside or outside of classes and used by administrative staff...all these compete with your classes.   App Inventor is not just a Web link...it is a Web application.   You might check with your school's IT people.  They may have a way to establish whether the school's Internet connection is near capacity (slowing some activities).  What you described happens on under-powered networks.  Is it the only issue?   Probably not.

There are more things you all can try to get better performance:

1) Instead of using the Companion as it is, check the  Use Legacy  Connection .           .MIT is experimenting with ways to optimize the live development environment.  Checking the box allows a developer to make a connection similar to the way connections used to be made. Sometimes checking that box makes a difference in the way Companion performs.   You guys might try that and hope there is an improvement.

2) I hate to say it (don't use Chromebooks...there is a reason Chromebooks are less expensive than regular PCs).  There, I said it realizing you can't really do anything about it.

Since last year, loading projects for most users seems to take a while longer than it did a year ago for everyone, not just your students..

In your I have a dream Project, are the students providing supplemental material?   If so, you could try running the basic project  aia and loading and running that as a comparison  The basic files are here http://ai2.appinventor.mit.edu/?galleryId=5753789846913024 , unfortunately this is just a template having the basic images/sound files preloaded without the connecting code Blocks.

If the students are doing clever things (like adding their own resources) the Project can get huge.  Test that by exporting the Project aia's of the students and checking file size.   If  an aia is approaching 10 Mb, that in itself is an issue (Projects with aia's greater then about 10mb will NOT generally load rapidly or in some cases, even compile). Large images and sound clips take a while to load.

Let us know how your school day goes and what you discover. Wish all of you success.  If size is another part of the puzzle, someone here can perhaps help your students how to provided 'skinnier '  resources.   A frequent culprit is using images with pixel dimensions significantly larger than about 300 x 480 pixels or so ... existing images can be reduced using an image manipulation program (Paint on Windows).  I don't know what Chromebooks use.

--Steve

[TimAI2]

"2) I hate to say it (don't use Chromebooks...there is a reason Chromebooks are less expensive than regular PCs)."

What, an OS designed around a browser (surely ideal for a web application like AI2), with WIFI hardware probably much better than that found in most boxes and laptops, because most often there is no ethernet port ? ;)

More likely a sluggish / confused local wireless LAN, coupled with a poor gateway configuration....

Get a grip of your ICT people :)