The Intimate Life of Computers: Digitizing Domesticity in the 1980s by Reem Hilu (review)

Review article, 2026

An invigorating exploration of the early adoption of microprocessors in domestic life, The Intimate Life of Computers: Digitizing Domesticity in the 1980s, by Reem Hilu, is a welcome call to reexamine the cultural impact of technology in the 1980s. At the core of this book is the development of the concept of “companionate computing.” Hilu invites us to consider a diverse range of technologies as companionate computing, including self-assembly computer kits, spreadsheet software, alarm clocks, and coffee makers, to name a few. The book examines both the precursors to the now-booming “internet of things” and “maker culture” and the software designed to comment on and complement intimacy in heterosexual relationships.