I have an Echo Dot and Alexa, while interesting and helpful, is certainly not any better or worse than Siri. In fact I would welcome a standalone Siri box along similar lines. In fact I will probably start using my current iPhone 6 as that Siri box when it is replaced with the iPhone 8 or X.
This gives me a crazy idea. So many people don’t know what to do with their old iPhones. Imagine if Apple could convert your old iDevives into Siri spots.?
They can sell a dock that turns on Siri spot version when you connect an iPhone/iPad.
Great updates to the Echo line but I'll likely hold out on adding to my multi-Echo setup until I see what the HomePod can offer. For all I know the HomePod will not connect to 3rd-party (and wired) BT speakers like the Echos can, which means even the Echo Dot would have much better sound than a standalone HomePod(s). Hopefully that's a features offered by Apple out of the box, as well using a phone call relay system, at least in the same way it's worked with all non-cellular Apple Watches.
Hopefully (although I'm skeptical) Apple will release additional HomePod devices or accessories that help further connect the home where a speaker setup of the soon-to-be-available HomePod simply isn't ideal for a particular room. For example, a much smaller device used to replace the alarm clock or one that can act just a remote microphone system for a full-sized one playing SiriusXM in the adjacent bedroom while I'm showering in the morning.
For the alarm clock, Siri Apps, not unlike Alexa Skills, would be necessary for me. In fact, I hope we see this become a huge focus by WWDC in 2018 as Alexa Skills is such an amazing feature for Alexa and Echo devices.
People here love to hate on Apple Watch and Echo/Alexa but these gadgets are two that I not utilzie every day but are also the first two and the last two I use on a daily basis. I've even traveled with my Echo because it's that damn useful.
Tim Cook still has no idea to effectively compete Amazon with the much delayed HomePod and not very competitive HomeKit. But he prefers to spend a lot of attention on political issues.
More bullshit. You don’t like gays, right? Get over it. Cook is personally leading the most successful public corp in history, and he’s gay, and stands for gay rights. Got it.
HomeKit is much better than the hodgepodge of insecure IoT devices sold to the knockoffs crowd. I use the Apple Home app exclusively and don’t even need to use the hardware provider apps any longer. The automation scenes are great and using Siri is easy.
But you misunderstand HomePod anyway, it’s not a dopey assistant, it’s a high quality music speaker, and I fully intend to place one in the master bedroom or bath. Tech press said it sounded much better than the dopey assistant speakers.
I love how he says it's "delayed" when it's scheduled to be released right when they said it would back in June, and we know from every other major product release that there's several months lead time for brand new product categories so that Apple can control the announcement. Now, if he wants to go after the AirPods from last year, Apple did miss their self-imposed release date about 6 week. I'd love for him to say how AirPods are crap as a result of the delay.
I have a 3rd gen Apple TV, so no Siri. Those of you who have newer ones, do you use Siri at all? How well does it work?
I use Siri on my Apple TV all the time and it works very well. Yes, for finding content like movies or TV shows but also to control my HomeKit devices, check the weather, etc. In regard to controlling HomeKit devices, it’s very fast.
For fastest HomeKit response, in my experience:
1) iPad 2) TV 3) iPhone 4) Apple Watch
My iPhone flip flops between being very fast to kinda slow, and it’s all due to Siri. Sometimes I have to wait several seconds to even see my request on my iPhone’s display, once it’s there the execution is quick. But on the iPad and TV I barely even get the request out and it’s being executed, it’s crazy fast.
StrangeDays said: Tech press said it sounded much better than the dopey assistant speakers.
It could hardly miss! Have you heard an Echo? It might be an excellent personal assistant but it's a terrible audio device. If all it takes achieve "high-end audio" status is to be better than that, the bar is set pretty low.
I'm really hoping the HomePod sounds good, but having recently purchased a Pill+ for giggles, my already somewhat pessimistic expectations have sunk even further.
I have a 3rd gen Apple TV, so no Siri. Those of you who have newer ones, do you use Siri at all? How well does it work?
I use Siri on my Apple TV all the time and it works very well. Yes, for finding content like movies or TV shows but also to control my HomeKit devices, check the weather, etc. In regard to controlling HomeKit devices, it’s very fast.
For fastest HomeKit response, in my experience:
1) iPad 2) TV 3) iPhone 4) Apple Watch
My iPhone flip flops between being very fast to kinda slow, and it’s all due to Siri. Sometimes I have to wait several seconds to even see my request on my iPhone’s display, once it’s there the execution is quick. But on the iPad and TV I barely even get the request out and it’s being executed, it’s crazy fast.
My interest in Siri on the ATV is for TV viewing, not home automation.
Most of my content is on a Mac mini with Home Sharing turned on. I'd be interested in knowing how well Siri would handle a request like "Play the next episode of 'Big Bang Theory.'" Will it go to the iTunes Store and offer to sell it to me? Will it play the next "Unwatched" episode on my local drive, even if that episode is several seasons old? Will it try to play the newest local episode, even if there are older episodes marked as unwatched?
Does Siri know where to find things? Like, if I just say "Play 'Wonder Woman'" does it know to play it from my local drive rather than from the cloud? If the movie I want is on Netflix but not my local drive, does Siri know that, or do I have to specify "Play (movie name) from Netflix"?
I should probably just buy one and return it if it doesn't work out the way I'd like, but I'm still curious about others' experiences with it.
If I replace my Apple TV with a Fire TV, can I watch my local content through the Fire TV the way I do with the Apple TV (via the "Computer" tab, fed by a dedicated Mac mini with Home Sharing turned on)?
What strikes me as kinda nifty about the Fire TV is being able to easily and inexpensively set it up to be completely hands free. I could just put an Echo Dot (or Spot) on the side table in the living room and be able to call up content without ever picking up a remote or pressing a button. I don't know why, but that idea appeals to me. Maybe because I'm fumble-fingered and am constantly hitting the wrong button.
I suppose it may be possible to do the same thing with a HomePod and an Apple TV, but it's WAY more expensive, and the HomePod is really overkill for the role of voice-activated remote control. Plus there doesn't seem to be any way to watch Amazon content with the Apple TV.
Tim Cook still has no idea to effectively compete Amazon with the much delayed HomePod and not very competitive HomeKit. But he prefers to spend a lot of attention on political issues.
Tim Cook still has no idea to effectively compete Amazon with the much delayed HomePod and not very competitive HomeKit. But he prefers to spend a lot of attention on political issues.
More bullshit. You don’t like gays, right? Get over it. Cook is personally leading the most successful public corp in history, and he’s gay, and stands for gay rights. Got it.
HomeKit is much better than the hodgepodge of insecure IoT devices sold to the knockoffs crowd. I use the Apple Home app exclusively and don’t even need to use the hardware provider apps any longer. The automation scenes are great and using Siri is easy.
But you misunderstand HomePod anyway, it’s not a dopey assistant, it’s a high quality music speaker, and I fully intend to place one in the master bedroom or bath. Tech press said it sounded much better than the dopey assistant speakers.
Gay is an oppressive western concept. Same sex desire is universal.
Might as well demonize a class of people for liking music. Music-lover!
It is ironic that people who accept the construct are actually party to the oppression and self-oppression.
Echo and Echo+, S8 and S8+, who started this plus thing?? Everyone has pluses now, What about say Echo and Super Echo instead?
Good question. I'm not sure, was it Samsung with the Galaxy S Plus in 2011? Probably not, it seems like a generic term that's been around forever but probably it did have a beginning somewhere.
People put stickers above there computer camera, but buy an echo. That's odd. Looking forward to my HomePod in December.
The HomePod will be "listening" to you in the same way and for the same reason the Echo does. Both will wake with a keyword and react to your follow-up request or command. If you worry about one then worry about the other since they will be listening in much the same manner. Personally I'd not worry much about either of them.
I am sure that many people have found the Echo useful, and at $99 (or less on sale) it is within the reach of many to try, or give as a gift.
However, the idea of buying multiple, stationary, smart devices to place around my home seems like a vision of the future, circa 1960. I thought we had a mobile revolution going on...
What is the market for stationary device home phone and video calling? Is there that many people that don't have a smartphone, or tablet? Is voice the best means to "receive" information (vs. a screen - I thought a picture said a thousand words)? Voice is great for some things, but it is a subset.
Tim Cook still has no idea to effectively compete Amazon with the much delayed HomePod and not very competitive HomeKit. But he prefers to spend a lot of attention on political issues.
People put stickers above there computer camera, but buy an echo. That's odd. Looking forward to my HomePod in December.
Do you disconnect or effectively block all the microphones on your phone or PCs? I'm guessing you don't.
Correct, I don't. That's why I also don't cover my camera. I always found exactly this strange: covering the camera, but not unplugging the microphone. I always thought listening is of much more interest than watching, in particular as the microphone covers much more space than the camera.
To me these Echo's and whatnot seem like something that should have been released 5+ years ago. It seems dated. It's a device locked into a room by a power cord. Now you're littering your house with these things. Where as a Apple Watch works everywhere I'm at. Including outside and away from Home. I have full Siri control to do all kinds of things. Pretty much anything the Echo can basically do. I can turn on/off lights, open/close my garage door, adjust the temp, set a timer, a reminder, a appointment. Make and receive phone calls. Send and receive text messages. Ask when he 49's play next. Tell me a joke. This is on my Original Apple Watch. I can go on and on, but the point being, it works everywhere I'm at.
To me Apple has been in this race since the watch first came out. In fact Winning by far over the Echo sale number wise. The Echo gets a lot of press and how it's doing so good. but number wise, it's a joke in comparison to Apple Watch Sales. I guess if you want to order stuff from Amazon by voice, then the Echo is for you.
Tim Cook still has no idea to effectively compete Amazon with the much delayed HomePod and not very competitive HomeKit. But he prefers to spend a lot of attention on political issues.
I miss the Dislike button so much.
Yeah it’s a shame we have to pretend there are no dumb ideas on the internet.
Comments
That being said I like my Echo Show enough to have interest in the Spot for video calls
They can sell a dock that turns on Siri spot version when you connect an iPhone/iPad.
Hopefully (although I'm skeptical) Apple will release additional HomePod devices or accessories that help further connect the home where a speaker setup of the soon-to-be-available HomePod simply isn't ideal for a particular room. For example, a much smaller device used to replace the alarm clock or one that can act just a remote microphone system for a full-sized one playing SiriusXM in the adjacent bedroom while I'm showering in the morning.
For the alarm clock, Siri Apps, not unlike Alexa Skills, would be necessary for me. In fact, I hope we see this become a huge focus by WWDC in 2018 as Alexa Skills is such an amazing feature for Alexa and Echo devices.
People here love to hate on Apple Watch and Echo/Alexa but these gadgets are two that I not utilzie every day but are also the first two and the last two I use on a daily basis. I've even traveled with my Echo because it's that damn useful.
I love how he says it's "delayed" when it's scheduled to be released right when they said it would back in June, and we know from every other major product release that there's several months lead time for brand new product categories so that Apple can control the announcement. Now, if he wants to go after the AirPods from last year, Apple did miss their self-imposed release date about 6 week. I'd love for him to say how AirPods are crap as a result of the delay.
For fastest HomeKit response, in my experience:
1) iPad
2) TV
3) iPhone
4) Apple Watch
My iPhone flip flops between being very fast to kinda slow, and it’s all due to Siri. Sometimes I have to wait several seconds to even see my request on my iPhone’s display, once it’s there the execution is quick. But on the iPad and TV I barely even get the request out and it’s being executed, it’s crazy fast.
I'm really hoping the HomePod sounds good, but having recently purchased a Pill+ for giggles, my already somewhat pessimistic expectations have sunk even further.
Most of my content is on a Mac mini with Home Sharing turned on. I'd be interested in knowing how well Siri would handle a request like "Play the next episode of 'Big Bang Theory.'" Will it go to the iTunes Store and offer to sell it to me? Will it play the next "Unwatched" episode on my local drive, even if that episode is several seasons old? Will it try to play the newest local episode, even if there are older episodes marked as unwatched?
Does Siri know where to find things? Like, if I just say "Play 'Wonder Woman'" does it know to play it from my local drive rather than from the cloud? If the movie I want is on Netflix but not my local drive, does Siri know that, or do I have to specify "Play (movie name) from Netflix"?
I should probably just buy one and return it if it doesn't work out the way I'd like, but I'm still curious about others' experiences with it.
What strikes me as kinda nifty about the Fire TV is being able to easily and inexpensively set it up to be completely hands free. I could just put an Echo Dot (or Spot) on the side table in the living room and be able to call up content without ever picking up a remote or pressing a button. I don't know why, but that idea appeals to me. Maybe because I'm fumble-fingered and am constantly hitting the wrong button.
I suppose it may be possible to do the same thing with a HomePod and an Apple TV, but it's WAY more expensive, and the HomePod is really overkill for the role of voice-activated remote control. Plus there doesn't seem to be any way to watch Amazon content with the Apple TV.
Might as well demonize a class of people for liking music. Music-lover!
It is ironic that people who accept the construct are actually party to the oppression and self-oppression.
However, the idea of buying multiple, stationary, smart devices to place around my home seems like a vision of the future, circa 1960. I thought we had a mobile revolution going on...
What is the market for stationary device home phone and video calling? Is there that many people that don't have a smartphone, or tablet? Is voice the best means to "receive" information (vs. a screen - I thought a picture said a thousand words)? Voice is great for some things, but it is a subset.
To me Apple has been in this race since the watch first came out. In fact Winning by far over the Echo sale number wise. The Echo gets a lot of press and how it's doing so good. but number wise, it's a joke in comparison to Apple Watch Sales. I guess if you want to order stuff from Amazon by voice, then the Echo is for you.