gsharm

Given Parse is now going down, are there any equivalent services available beyond Firebase?

By equivalent I mean something really simple, like how Parse worked - i.e. you could just upload a folder using provided tools, and it all just worked.

I'm a .NET developer of 8 years and am walking away from opportunities paying $1000/day at the moment, with plans to move away to Unix for my own products later this year, because deep down I feel increasingly uncomfortable with Windows, although I can't pin down exactly why.

Any comments/corrections welcome on my below attempt to understand differences based on my limited experience. I especially welcome any thoughts in areas where Windows is perceived stronger as a server-side operating system, because I can't think of any. Are there any startups here building on Windows Server? I know this shouldn't be a big deal, but I can't shake off the feeling that it is.

    Flexibility (Unix +1)
        Unix can be installed on more types of computers
        In future, this could be something as
                small as a watch
                large as a supercomputer
                sophisticated as a robot
                innovative as a new CPU
    
    Scalability (Unix +1)
        Managing 100 servers would be
            easy using Unix
                Can SSH into systems quickly via terminal
                    Could even automate this process
                        As it's completely text-driven
            kludgy using Windows
                would require using remote desktop
                    is automating from outside even possible?
    
    Aims (Unix +1)
        Linux
            Benefits everyone involved
        Windows
            To increase shareholder value for Microsoft
    
    Accessibility (Unix +1)
        Windows is closed system
            Have to fit solution around OS
        Linux is an open system
            Can fit OS around solution
    
    People (Unix +1)
        Most people working on
            Windows Server do it primarily for the money
                Windows people can usually not comfortable with Unix
                    Use Windows because they have to/told to
            Unix do it primarily because they want to
                Unix people can usually comfortable with either
                    And choose to use Unix
    
    Notebook/Desktop Hardware (Unix +1)
        Windows
            Decent hardware (ThinkPad/Dell) and client OS experience (Windows 7)
                Can target .NET or JVM with this
                Ideal for targetting Windows Server
                Not ideal for Unix (no native terminal)
                    This is not acceptable (restricts freedom to target other systems)
                    Can use cygwin but this is a 2nd class option
    
        Unix
            Best designed hardware and client OS experience (Apple)
                In my experience better designed than any Windows options
                Can target JVM with this
                Ideal for targetting Unix (tabbed terminal/shell built-in)
                Cannot target Windows
                    This is acceptable (does not restrict freedom to target other systems)
                
    Dependency (Unix +1)
        If Microsoft goes down
            Entire server stack will be left unsupported and frozen
                Expensive migration to Unix or other platform
                All invested time goes to waste
        If Unix ecosystem goes down
            Impossible situation
                There will always be a Unix ecosystem
                    Has already exist around 50 years
    
    Timelessness (Unix +1)
        Skills learned 20 years on Unix are still relevant today
           Not the case for Windows!
        10 years from now
            Windows will likely require learning of many new things
                Windows 2008 is very different from Windows NT
            Unix will operate with knowledge of most of the same things
                Linux of 2012 command line identical to Linux 2002 one
    
    Philosophy (Unix +1)
        Unix design's openness lends itself to socratic method
            Every decision can be defended/attacked
                Encourages thinking about what is going on
                    Strengthens understanding
        Windows design's closedness lends to closed thinking
            Design decisions unknown/private mostly
                Discourages thinking about what is going on
                    Weakens understanding