Bill Watt’s Blog

Bought the book The Big Switch yesterday based on a few blog posts and reader reviews. I’m about a chapter in and think it is a really good read so far. I’ll let you know what I think at the end.

Here’s a short summary from the Amazon page:

Book Description
An eye-opening look at the new computer revolution and the coming transformation of our economy, society, and culture.

A hundred years ago, companies stopped producing their own power with steam engines and generators and plugged into the newly built electric grid. The cheap power pumped out by electric utilities not only changed how businesses operated but also brought the modern world into existence. Today a similar revolution is under way. Companies are dismantling their private computer systems and tapping into rich services delivered over the Internet. This time it’s computing that’s turning into a utility. The shift is already remaking the computer industry, bringing new competitors like Google to the fore and threatening traditional stalwarts like Microsoft and Dell. But the effects will reach much further. Cheap computing will ultimately change society as profoundly as cheap electricity did. In this lucid and compelling book, Nicholas Carr weaves together history, economics, and technology to explain why computing is changing—and what it means for all of us.

About the Author
Nicholas Carr is the author of Does IT Matter? The former executive editor of the Harvard Business Review, he has written for the New York Times, the Financial Times, Wired, and other publications. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts. 

They’ve just released new apps for the iPhone and are now making some available for the iPod touch at the bargain price of $19.99. They’re cool… but aren’t these the same things other companies would just give you to increase usefulness on the $400 device I bought and to add value on top of my growing music and video purchases? I mean, how much value do I get from a memo pad anyway. I like the maps, weather and all the other widgets but do I really don’t want to pay for a software update.

We’ll see if I give in before Apple does (or before someone just hacks the crap out it).