as for delay in SSL on custom domains, we're guilty as charged; we're not happy it's taking so long and we're working hard on it.
How many biz can get away with that sort of hike? This and how Google treats Android developers (shutting down forum, not responding to issues) is making me question why I bother building anything for your platforms.
I was on app engine from the start, I've sat though your DevFests, arranged hackathons, and told countless people they should use your platform. I've invested many hours learning your API. But this is it, its over, no more.
Anything but a tiny free app is going to cost the earth, if you want to scale use AWS or Heroku. If you are an outside developer trusting Google it will cost you.