You may not have used Siri recently (or at all), but that opinion that Siri isn't useful, or in the same league as other AI assistants has been proven to be false.
In December 2017 LoopVentures tested the various AI assistants with the same 800 questions divided into five categories.
Test Results:
Understood Query:
Apple Siri: 99.0%
Amazon Echo: 97.9%
Google Home: 99.9%
MS Cortana: 98.9%
Answered Correctly:
Apple Siri: 75.4%
Amazon Echo: 63.8%
Google Home: 81.1%
MS Cortana: 56.4%
Siri is currently only slightly behind Google Home, but well ahead of both Amazon Echo and MS Cortana. And Siri's ratings have been consistently improving.
Do you have a link for this LoopVentures test? Thanks
In Dec of 2016 Loop Ventures compared Google and Alexa. I don't recall seeing one including Siri at the time? Munster did a test in May last year (I think) where he included Siri so perhaps that's the one he meant?
Google Home performed best as a virtual assistant. It was able to answer the highest percentage of questions at 68.1 percent, and 90.6 percent of questions answered were absolutely complete and correct.
Microsoft's Cortana was in second place with 56.5 percent of questions answered and 81.9% complete accuracy.
Amazon's Alexa could answer 20.7% of the questions it was asked and got 87% of them correct.
Apple's Siri came in fourth, only able to answer 21.7% of the same questions and the accuracy of the answers was 62.2%.
In all fairness this was before the iOS11 Siri improvements so results would differ now.
All such tests need a plethora of disclaimers and grains of salt because of the potential for variance from the human speaking the query all the way to the expectation of the result that no one should use any such tests as an affirmation about which service is better or worse without a very heavy "according to [insert_name]'s test suite on [insert_date]…" disclaimer.
You may not have used Siri recently (or at all), but that opinion that Siri isn't useful, or in the same league as other AI assistants has been proven to be false.
In December 2017 LoopVentures tested the various AI assistants with the same 800 questions divided into five categories.
Test Results:
Understood Query:
Apple Siri: 99.0%
Amazon Echo: 97.9%
Google Home: 99.9%
MS Cortana: 98.9%
Answered Correctly:
Apple Siri: 75.4%
Amazon Echo: 63.8%
Google Home: 81.1%
MS Cortana: 56.4%
Siri is currently only slightly behind Google Home, but well ahead of both Amazon Echo and MS Cortana. And Siri's ratings have been consistently improving.
Do you have a link for this LoopVentures test? Thanks
In Dec of 2016 Loop Ventures compared Google and Alexa. I don't recall seeing one including Siri at the time? Munster did a test in May last year (I think) where he included Siri so perhaps that's the one he meant?
Google Home performed best as a virtual assistant. It was able to answer the highest percentage of questions at 68.1 percent, and 90.6 percent of questions answered were absolutely complete and correct.
Microsoft's Cortana was in second place with 56.5 percent of questions answered and 81.9% complete accuracy.
Amazon's Alexa could answer 20.7% of the questions it was asked and got 87% of them correct.
Apple's Siri came in fourth, only able to answer 21.7% of the same questions and the accuracy of the answers was 62.2%.
In all fairness this was before the iOS11 Siri improvements so results would differ now.
All such tests need a plethora of disclaimers and grains of salt because of the potential for variance from the human speaking the query all the way to the expectation to the result that no one should use any such results without a very heavy "according to [insert_name]'s test suite on [insert_date]…"
You are correct. What matters is how they work for YOU.
And before you fanboi’s start believing that Apple invented audio beamforming (and it only exists in 50k systems), you could buy a $50 microphone 20 years ago that does the exact same thing. So congratulations, Apple caught up to 1998 technology. Woo
Can you point me to this $50 microphone from 1998 that would magically convert a regular speaker system into a beamforming speaker system that would analyze the room and its inhabitants? I don't know of a single system at any price that would be able to process that much data in real time two decades ago, but you claim that this was possible with a $50 microphone; well, that's something I have to see.
And @rain22 goes silent! Typical troll! When they get asked to prove their point they go silent or do the well just Google it if you want to see.
And before you fanboi’s start believing that Apple invented audio beamforming (and it only exists in 50k systems), you could buy a $50 microphone 20 years ago that does the exact same thing. So congratulations, Apple caught up to 1998 technology. Woo
Can you point me to this $50 microphone from 1998 that would magically convert a regular speaker system into a beamforming speaker system that would analyze the room and its inhabitants? I don't know of a single system at any price that would be able to process that much data in real time two decades ago, but you claim that this was possible with a $50 microphone; well, that's something I have to see.
And @rain22 goes silent! Typical troll! When they get asked to prove their point they go silent or do the well just Google it if you want to see.
Name-calling from the "other side" isn't an improvement. AI put new rules in effect a week or two back for good reason.The discussions have greatly improved since so I really hope some of us don't start back-sliding. It's not helpful.
Ok, I'm surprised... I fully expected the initial shipment of HomePods to be sold by now, gone in the preorders. I said as much here on Friday. They're not, still showing available for February 9th delivery.
Ok, I'm surprised... I fully expected the initial shipment of HomePods to be sold by now, gone in the preorders. I said as much here on Friday. They're not, still showing available for February 9th delivery.
People will read into that, but they shouldn’t. The tech in the HomePod may be unique for the category and price, but it’s mostly stuff likely easy to produce, nothing that requires miniaturization or new chip designs (like with AirPods), and the A8 chip brain Apple was able to produce in quantities for the iPhone. The real challenge likely comes down to SW, not pushing the envelope on a manufacturing process or component.
Some reviews have said this $350 speaker sounds better than a pair of $1,000 speakers.
Even if it doesn't, it still wouldn't determine if it's "DOA" since the market favors heavily towards convenience. I don't think anyone would claim that 128-bit AAC audio is better than the AIFF files you get with a CD, and yet Apple was able to profoundly change that market (or at least change it at a much faster rate than would've happened without their HW, SW, and ecosystem).
The same can likely be said for Apple's AirPods. There are probably BT headphones out there with better sound at a lower price, and surely wired headphones with better sound at a lower price, but the W-series chip and their SW to make pairing and switching headphones is a huge convenience for consumers.
I don't think HomePod will be any different, especially when looking at the wireless speakers Apple sells in their stores. While the SW will have to evolve for HomePod, that's a short-term issue and people should simply not buy it if it's missing a "must have" feature (like Blackberry users needing Exchange email or cut/copy/paste). Even if we could an absolutely statement that showed that two Sonos One speakers ($3490 would sound better than a single HomePod ($349) for some theoretically typical setup, the number of steps to setup two Sonos One in terms of HW and SW over setting up one HomePod (i.e.: convenience) will play a big role.
Apple has earned a lot of user's trust over the years, and there's something to say about the convenience of being able to bring in a malfunctioning HomePod into an Apple Store v having to contact some other company via the phone, email, or chat, fill out some return form to get an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization), which will let you package up your own device to ship back for inspection, service, and replacement. Of course, for many there are no nearby Apple Stores and they'll still have to do shipping, so that's a null convenience (or perhaps bringing a product into an Apple Store is more of an inconvenience), but for most people it seems to add value.
There is indeed something to this. Convenience is a commodity. While HomePod is clearly a device that requires another apple device to work (and connectivity) you are correct that people will pay for the convenience you describe. I remember all too well maintaining a record collection with individual components to set up. When I moved, it was a huge hassle.
Funny aside: I have cabinet speakers from long ago they work fine. last year, I noticed one was emitting a buzz. On closer inspection, I saw the speaker cones had literally dissolved. And then I did the math: yep, those pieces of paper were at least 30 years old. A trip to amazon.com found replacements into the cabinet for a reasonable price. They sound great.
And before you fanboi’s start believing that Apple invented audio beamforming (and it only exists in 50k systems), you could buy a $50 microphone 20 years ago that does the exact same thing. So congratulations, Apple caught up to 1998 technology. Woo
Can you point me to this $50 microphone from 1998 that would magically convert a regular speaker system into a beamforming speaker system that would analyze the room and its inhabitants? I don't know of a single system at any price that would be able to process that much data in real time two decades ago, but you claim that this was possible with a $50 microphone; well, that's something I have to see.
And @rain22 goes silent! Typical troll! When they get asked to prove their point they go silent or do the well just Google it if you want to see.
Name-calling from the "other side" isn't an improvement. AI put new rules in effect a week or two back for good reason.The discussions have greatly improved since so I really hope some of us don't start back-sliding. It's not helpful.
Your post isn't any more helpful. Quite frankly, the new rules whatever they are, aren't going to stop crap from being spread around every thread. I'm sorry if calling someone out is offensive to you.
And before you fanboi’s start believing that Apple invented audio beamforming (and it only exists in 50k systems), you could buy a $50 microphone 20 years ago that does the exact same thing. So congratulations, Apple caught up to 1998 technology. Woo
Can you point me to this $50 microphone from 1998 that would magically convert a regular speaker system into a beamforming speaker system that would analyze the room and its inhabitants? I don't know of a single system at any price that would be able to process that much data in real time two decades ago, but you claim that this was possible with a $50 microphone; well, that's something I have to see.
And @rain22 goes silent! Typical troll! When they get asked to prove their point they go silent or do the well just Google it if you want to see.
Name-calling from the "other side" isn't an improvement. AI put new rules in effect a week or two back for good reason.The discussions have greatly improved since so I really hope some of us don't start back-sliding. It's not helpful.
Your post isn't any more helpful. Quite frankly, the new rules whatever they are, aren't going to stop crap from being spread around every thread. I'm sorry if calling someone out is offensive to you.
I'm not at all offended. The admins have clarified the rules to make this place more conducive to intelligent discussion. I linked them for the OP earlier. the poster whose language offended you. If you haven't noticed the new rules you should take just a minute to have a look. No skin off my teeth if you choose to follow them or not.
I am confused by the pricing strategy. I think the HomePod is actually too cheap! If it wants to compete on sound quality, it must be at least as good as the Sonos Play 5, the Bowers & Wilkins A7 or Zeppelin, and similar. And if it does sound better than these, does this mean Apple is now competing on price? Sounding better than a Sonos One is not enough to be considered great sound quality and $ 350 sounds too expensive for a slightly better sounding Amazon Echo. The price point is neither here nor there, seems odd for Apple products.
Apple always competes on price. They don't aim to be the lowest and don't do loss leaders, but they don't intentionally price things high just to make things seem more valuable (Apple Watch Edition as a possible exception).
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I fully expected the initial shipment of HomePods to be sold by now, gone in the preorders. I said as much here on Friday. They're not, still showing available for February 9th delivery.
Funny aside: I have cabinet speakers from long ago they work fine. last year, I noticed one was emitting a buzz. On closer inspection, I saw the speaker cones had literally dissolved. And then I did the math: yep, those pieces of paper were at least 30 years old. A trip to amazon.com found replacements into the cabinet for a reasonable price. They sound great.
”This restaurant is the worst. The food is terrible... and the portions are so small!”