In most cases, it will dramatically increase the load on your server, especially if you use a ReST API like the author suggests. UPDATE: To clarify, in the spe

In most cases, it will dramatically increase the load on your server, especially if you use a ReST API like the author suggests. UPDATE: To clarify, in the specific situation the author describes (exactly one model class, no relationships, basically the simplest "schema" one could create), the load will go down slightly. For real, interactive single-page apps (the kind backbone.js is targeting), the load will go up because apps requests data often, way faster than your current app which is limited by page refresh time.