Microsoft is beginning work on the first of what it plans to make a family of customized Windows platforms designed for specific rooms around the home. The “Kitchen Client� software will extend the Windows operating system and integrate with current and future Windows Live services, according to sources close to the company. It sounds, from what I can tell, more like an add-on layer than a whole new version of Windows.

Among the features Microsoft is planning to make part of its forthcoming kitchen computing environment are a family calendar, recipe center, entertainment features and a shared bulletin board, sources added.

Microsoft increasingly is looking for ways to tailor computing experiences beyond the plain-vanilla desktop. The Kitchen Client is expected to encompass both customized user interface and middleware that will allow developers to further customize the environment with their own products and services, sources said.

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Microsoft, Windows, Kitchen Client