I've also been using Backlift at Nashville Software School. We have a class that is an introduction to front-end development and as an educational tool Backlif

I've also been using Backlift at Nashville Software School. We have a class that is an introduction to front-end development and as an educational tool Backlift has been great. Allows us to focus on learning how to program and build browser-based code without forcing us to teach our students a lot of details about the server-side at the same time. Big win. Does it replace learning all of that server stuff at some point, no, of course not, but it allows us to focus on fewer issues at any given point in the course. To the lock-in point, I've not seen that in what our students have built. There's a bit of unique code but mostly they're using standard AJAX & JSON techniques. My own perspective is that Backlift and tools like it have real value for not just training but also for prototyping applications, rapidly evolving MVPs, etc. If something clicks and you've got to scale, great - that's when you invest in the real back-end. But there are also a lot of simple, low volume applications and websites where a back-end as a service tool could well be all that someone needs.