It wasn't until the 90s that the idea of a fully automated home became thinkable. Bill Gates had envisioned every one in the planet should have a PC and that was almost a reality then. The concept of having appliances controlled from a central console with computer chips embedded in each set communicating to a central home server emerged to become a computer buzzword in the term smart home.
Consumer electronic trade shows all over the world have been trumpeting intelligent appliances and gadgets and their benefits for more than a decade now. What's making the smart home from becoming as common as a mobile phone is the cost. While the technology is already there to construct a smart home, the cost remains elusive but for a select few who can afford.
What Makes a Smart Home?