foggyhill said: [...] Apple is all about INTEGRATION. That's were they shine and provide added value.
Integration may be Apple's goal, but they don't always get it right. The new Apple TV 4K is actually a step backwards in that regard. Unlike our Gen3 unit, it doesn't sync watched status between the cloud and local downloads. The TV app and Up Next show iTunes purchases and Prime, but NOT my local library or Netflix. It's a bit of a mixed up mess. Siri is another area in which integration has not yet been achieved.
None of that is a direct reflection on the as-yet untested HomePod per se, and obviously Apple probably does a better job of integration than other manufacturers. Still, it's not fair to say that buying a product made by Apple rather than someone else necessarily means it will either work well or play nicely with other Apple products. The holes in the ecosystem and occasional steps backwards (iLife, Final Cut, Apple TV are examples) indicate that it's not safe to assume every new product will mark progress on that front.
Well, one of the problem with integration, Apple usually producing good product at launch and an ecosystem, is too early optimization to fit this sprawling ecosystem and that the bigger it is, the higher the chance that locally, a part of it will detach through inertia or that local adaptation will hinder a wider goal (at least temporarily).
Setting an ecosystem is one thing, keeping it all part alive and active, is a hell of a lot harder. That's why there are not many outside Apple that have done it, though a lot of the other players are following in its footstep including Amazon and Google. Bizarrely, Samsung is not being very successful at this despite having a huge range of hardware. Microsoft is also struggling here.
Especially if coding / hardware & R&D resources internally are not unlimited. Many people seem to think you can just hire STEM people left and right like they grow on trees and throw them at any problem and you'll get a sellable product... If Only it was that easy.
In fact, sometimes they have to backoff because they adapted to the wrong thing, the wrong local user need that hinders adaptation to the overall ecosystem.
So,overall ecosystem pressure leads to cull of products perfectly adapted to their niche leaving those that depended on these adaptation without a home.
Talking about ecosystem. Will the Home speaker support Android devices? Only my daughter and I have iPhones, the rest of the family prefers Android. A speaker of 350$ that can only be used by 2 of 5 people in the family is not an option. And the Dutch version of Siri has to improve a lot before such a device can be used at all.
The fact that Homepod needs to be paired to an Apple mobile device means it as far along as it competitors or Apple just does not want to pay for the complete components. It like how the Apple watch began scenario. Apple keeps with making it with profit margin in mind first!
foggyhill said: [...] Apple is all about INTEGRATION. That's were they shine and provide added value.
Integration may be Apple's goal, but they don't always get it right. The new Apple TV 4K is actually a step backwards in that regard. Unlike our Gen3 unit, it doesn't sync watched status between the cloud and local downloads. The TV app and Up Next show iTunes purchases and Prime, but NOT my local library or Netflix. It's a bit of a mixed up mess. Siri is another area in which integration has not yet been achieved.
None of that is a direct reflection on the as-yet untested HomePod per se, and obviously Apple probably does a better job of integration than other manufacturers. Still, it's not fair to say that buying a product made by Apple rather than someone else necessarily means it will either work well or play nicely with other Apple products. The holes in the ecosystem and occasional steps backwards (iLife, Final Cut, Apple TV are examples) indicate that it's not safe to assume every new product will mark progress on that front.
Well, one of the problem with integration, Apple usually producing good product at launch and an ecosystem, is too early optimization to fit this sprawling ecosystem and that the bigger it is, the higher the chance that locally, a part of it will detach through inertia or that local adaptation will hinder a wider goal (at least temporarily).
Setting an ecosystem is one thing, keeping it all part alive and active, is a hell of a lot harder. That's why there are not many outside Apple that have done it, though a lot of the other players are following in its footstep including Amazon and Google. Bizarrely, Samsung is not being very successful at this despite having a huge range of hardware. Microsoft is also struggling here.
Especially if coding / hardware & R&D resources internally are not unlimited. Many people seem to think you can just hire STEM people left and right like they grow on trees and throw them at any problem and you'll get a sellable product... If Only it was that easy.
In fact, sometimes they have to backoff because they adapted to the wrong thing, the wrong local user need that hinders adaptation to the overall ecosystem.
So,overall ecosystem pressure leads to cull of products perfectly adapted to their niche leaving those that depended on these adaptation without a home.
Talking about ecosystem. Will the Home speaker support Android devices? Only my daughter and I have iPhones, the rest of the family prefers Android. A speaker of 350$ that can only be used by 2 of 5 people in the family is not an option. And the Dutch version of Siri has to improve a lot before such a device can be used at all.
It's a little hard to say. On the HomePod page on apple.com it says it supports Wi-Fi but nothing about Bluetooth. But what do you mean by "support Android devices"? Do you want to stream music to a HomePod from an Android device or set it up using an Android device?
I'm also curious about the functionality of Siri. At first I thought there was mention of a sort of limited Siri support, like telling Siri to play music or give it HomeKit commands. But the text on the website says "Because it has Siri, HomePod can hear and answer questions in the most popular categories. Timers. Clocks. Measurements. Translations. News. Sports. Weather. Traffic. And general knowledge. It’s great at the things you want to know, and do, in your home." That seems much broader than what was previously written.
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Only my daughter and I have iPhones, the rest of the family prefers Android. A speaker of 350$ that can only be used by 2 of 5 people in the family is not an option.
And the Dutch version of Siri has to improve a lot before such a device can be used at all.
I'm also curious about the functionality of Siri. At first I thought there was mention of a sort of limited Siri support, like telling Siri to play music or give it HomeKit commands. But the text on the website says "Because it has Siri, HomePod can hear and answer questions in the most popular categories. Timers. Clocks. Measurements. Translations. News. Sports. Weather. Traffic. And general knowledge. It’s great at the things you want to know, and do, in your home." That seems much broader than what was previously written.