Here’s a blast: in 2002, Jerry Honeycutt wrote that he was putting together the kitchen computer that he’d been dreaming of.
“I want to build one that fits unobtrusively next to the mixer until I call it into service to browse the Internet, check mail, and chat with friends.”
“For all my effort to make this computer as tiny as possible, I feel like it’s too big for my kitchen. It doesn’t just sit next to my mixer; it actually replaces the mixer and all of the space around it. If your kitchen is small, you might want to buy a laptop to use in that room. However, this project cost around $1000, and that’s not much to spend for a good laptop. On a final note, protect any computer that you set up in your kitchen with a surge protector. Considering the appliances with which the computer shares its circuitry, this is a smart idea.”
Fast forward to 2006 and the article in PC Magazine on The Kitchen PC:
“Our Kitchen PC is all you will need to bring your kitchen into the digital age. This PC is more than an updated recipe box, of course: It has features designed for the special needs of the kitchen, and it solves all the problems of heat, size, and communications.”
In our house, we find that the best kitchen PC — which is also a family computer — is a laptop. It allows for th emost flexible movement from the prep area to the kitchen table, it works when the power fluctuates and accesses the home network remotely.
Also of interest: The Digital Home: The Kitchen (from Nov ’04)
