From Luxury to Necessity: What the Railways, Electricity and the Automobile Teach Us about the IT Revolution

What do computers and smartphones have in common with the railways, electricity, and the automobile? Each triggered a technological revolution that radically changed the way in which we live, work, eat, shop and enjoy ourselves. 'From Luxury to Necessity' shows how these technological revolutions affected everyday life and led to new consumer practices. Even though they would develop into absolute necessities within decades, all of them started as novelties for which meaningful uses were still unclear. The true value of the technologies was only realized when consumers started using them as part of new and valuable practices. This book recounts the struggles of consumers, businesses and governments to make sense of the new technologies and their unexpected uses. The historical perspective of the book sheds new light on the current it revolution, shows the remarkable similarities between past and present, and helps us to understand how new and existing consumer practices evolve with technological innovation.