update: this URL is now LIVE: http://appengine.google.com/ http://appengine.google.com/ update2: yeah, waitlisted as well... http://code.google.com/appengi

update: this URL is now LIVE: http://appengine.google.com/ http://appengine.google.com/ update2: yeah, waitlisted as well... http://code.google.com/appengine/downloads.html http://code.google.com/appengine/downloads.html (where code samples are) update3: API: http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/gettingstarted/ http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/gettingstarted/ update4: everyone who signed up recently should have received an invite by now! Lots of limitations: - Python-only for now but the complete architecture is language neutral and they will add other language support (will rely on feedback on which language support to add next). Before they add a language, they need to 'harden' it (i.e. remove some features from it). - Django is the only API that's currently supported, can upload other framework(s) but you're on your own (which will be an issue since there will be some issues with other frameworks due to other limitations) - you cannot write to the filesystem - due to distributed nature of the system, you have no idea where the file will end up. - you cannot open sockets! you can only use the limited API that they provide (URL & mail sending API). Forget about Twisted :( - no threads (Google says they provide scalability in other ways) - limits on how long an app request can run – forget about uploading large files for now. - admin console contains version source deployment client (svn or git?) which means Google will have easy access to your source code. If you're competing with Google, beware... Google potentially has access to your source code (and data of course) so you will have to trust them and their legal agreement! Definitely some conflict of interest is possible. Update: Here's the relevant info from the TOS: http://code.google.com/appengine/terms.html http://code.google.com/appengine/terms.html By submitting, posting or displaying the Content on or through the Service you give Google a worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such Content for the sole purpose of enabling Google to provide you with the Service in accordance with its privacy policy. Seems to me that there's a lot of magic happening behind the scenes but you get simplicity for that. They demoed few interesting applications: - Huddle chat - like 37sig's Campfire - client queries the server every few seconds to pick up deltas. - Jaiku - twitter clone that Google bought was partially converted to Appengine - some social app that allows you to pick a place to go out with friends (clubs etc).