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Eh, I think you’re underselling the value of “free” stuff. Even if it has an ulterior motive, giving free access to computing resources allows someone to learn concepts and even ship things that would otherwise be impossible.

None of these companies are altruistic and everyone knows it, but by not charging upfront it gives possibilities for millions of developers who don’t have US$ 50/month to spend on something (students, emerging economies, career changers, etc).

I wouldn't as knowledgeable and successful in tech without free computing resources from various companies. My parents didn't have any money and I certainly didn't either.

There's a lot of transferable skills gained in these products. You're not just operating a Maytag.

I guess you can easily transfer the knowledge to other libraries, APIs, etc. I think it is just a net benefit.

Haha, very similar to how Microsoft turns a blind eye to Windows piracy.

After all, why care? It's not like those people were gonna buy it anyway, and they're still using windows, aren't they?