Here’s a moment in weird retrofuturism – did you know Honeywell had a kitchen computer back in 1969? Neither did I, but thanks to the good people at Rarehistoricalphotos we can stroll down geek memory lane with the H316 Pedestal home kitchen computer. And you thought the Skymall catalog sold weird stuff!
The H316 was a DDP-116, one of the first popular 16-bit minicomputers built by Honeywell starting in 1969. ‘They were commonly used for data acquisition and control, remote message concentration, clinical laboratory systems, Remote Job Entry and time-sharing,’ according to Wikipedia. It ran on 475 watts of electricity (as much as a modern smart fridge), included 4KB of magnetic memory, expandable to 16KB, and a system clock running at 2.5 MHz – beefier than the computer that took our astronauts to the moon! Per Rarehistoricalphotos – ‘the machine’s functionality was limited to pre-programmed recipes and basic calculations for meal planning or checkbook balancing.’ So, everything your little homemaker needs. /s
No, This Wasn’t a Joke
Neiman Marcus tried to market this as the new ‘it’ item for modern American homes but I’m not buying it. No seriously, I couldn’t afford this. It cost $10,600 in 1969 to purchase this monster ($85K in today’s dollars). Nonetheless, this curious little piece of electrokitsch was ‘the first time a computer was offered as a consumer product.’
Not so much a technological achievement as a reinforcement of sexist gender norms.
I’m trying to picture the chrome-plated monkey nuts on the guy who came home and said ‘honey, your cooking stinks. It’s so bad, I spent $10K on a computer that will help you cook better. By the way, the price includes a 2-week course in programming your very own DDP-116. No offense.’
Too bad the Kitchen Computer didn’t include a phone directory. The unfortunate recipient could save the number of her favorite divorce attorney. Or maybe a defense attorney – receiving this gift would *definitely* constitute justifiable homicide. Thanks Rarehistoricalphotos!
The Honeywell Kitchen Computer stuck out to me as cool little retrofuturism item to share. I hope it brings a smile to your face. Please feel welcomed to dive down the rabbit hole of every other Sci-Friday I’ve published in the past couple years. Have a great Weekend. <3
