Quick summary notes about my JioPC (cloud PC) tests including Nextjs app build and run on 4G mobile Internet in Puttaparthi

Recently I tried out JioPC free trial (1 week) - https://www.jio.com/jiopc/. I used Chrome web browser to install and use JioPC. I could do React/Next.js web app build and run on it but not proper React Native Android app build and run on it (it can't run Android emulator).

On 4G Internet in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh (I used both Airtel and Jio 4G including during evening peak traffic hours), there were disconnections and reconnections with 'loading apps' screen during the break but it was not a show-stopper. As it was only a break in screen of virtual PC being shown, on restoration of connection (done automatically), the screen showed correctly. The virtual PC itself did not have any issues due to the connection break and restore events.

Free trial gave: 8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB storage, Ubuntu Linux - https://www.jio.com/jiopc/

Rs.1000 for 2 months plan is lower config of 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 500 GB storage, Ubuntu Linux, which is reasonable price for consumers. Jio website does not show price link clearly on landing pages but I did see it somewhere (perhaps after getting into the trial JioPC dashboard). Livemint article on pricing.

I think other cloud PC providers are much more expensive for short periods like 2 months.

JioPC does not provide terminal access from its desktop GUI. But I could set up Code-OSS (VS Code open source equivalent) and get a terminal from it. I could clone my public Nextjs gita project - datarest branch, build and run it. This included nodejs installation which needed some help from AI bot on JioPC. Downloads and builds on cloud pc were quite fast.

Android emulator is not supported on JioPC. So React Native dev would be hard on JioPC. But I could do similar cloning, build and run of web part of my public React Native Timestamp Tracker app. I guess that Android build would also be possible. The output file could be uploaded to Google Drive and then downloaded on Android device for installation and run. But debugging a dev build would not be possible this way. Tunneling may be a way out for running React Native dev server on JioPC, and using Expo Go app on Android device to connect to that React Native dev server but I don't know if that would work on JioPC and further whether that would be acceptable to JioPC platform. So I did not try it.

I could access the same cloud PC/virtual PC I had created from my decent-config Win 11 desktop computer, low-config Win 10 mini-laptop as well as an old low-cost Thinvent Micro 5 Thin Client device I have (ARM Quad-core, 2 GB RAM, Ubuntu 20.04, ~₹3000 in 2021, My review post). I did not do it simultaneously though. Note that I had to go through some hoops to install latest Chrome browser on Thinvent Micro 5 as its Chromium browser version was too old for JioPC install.

Conclusion: JioPC is OK for web dev, allows for short period usage like 2 months, is reasonably priced, and works with disconnects/reconnects not-show-stopper issues on Puttaparthi 4G Internet.

P.S.

1. JioPC opens on my Samsung M21 Android mobile Chrome with desktop site setting but with big limitation of many apps including Code-OSS not accepting keyboard and mouse input. Note that JioPC says that it is designed for computers and is not available on mobile phones and asks to open JioPC site in desktop or laptop browser.
2. I tried speed test in Google search in JioPC. That gave me 141.2 Mbps download and 65.6 Mbps upload speeds. The server was shown as "Nashik". Awesome speeds! If JioPC consistently provides such speeds, it is a significant plus point for it.
3. Detailed log of my trials are in private repo docs: WebDev-JioPC-CloudPC-WebIDE.md and JioPCOnAndroidExperiments.md.