kitchen table software

See also: kitchen-table software

English

Alternative forms

• kitchen-table software

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

kitchen table software (uncountable)

1. (dated, idiomatic, computing) Especially in the early years of personal computers, a set of computer programs developed by an entrepreneurial advanced amateur or self-employed professional computer programmer in his or her own home; software developed by a small business using the services of such programmers.
   • 1986, Personal computer, Software Communications, page 91:

     So much for kitchen-table software being small potatoes.

   • 1987, Jimmy D. Lindsey, Computers and exceptional individuals, →ISBN, page 54:

     However, the need to evaluate software before buying is no less important than in the days of the kitchen-table software developer.

   • 2003 January 8, Robin Miller, “The business of making Linux easier to use”, in linux.com, retrieved 8 May 2009:

     More and more vendors, from IBM to "kitchen table" software authors, seem to be heading in this direction.

Hypernyms

• software