Apple fan boys insist that Apple stay in the high end, Cadillac market for all their products.
BTW, any use fanboy here makes you sound like a douchebag, and you know it, so cut it out.
At least he didn't spell it with an "i" at the end. It's been about ten years since that slur did anything other than indicate the presence of a teen or an idiot. Scratch that -- it has never done anything other than that. One of the dumbest Internet ad-hominem memes ever.
On the topic at hand, just seems like the usual sort of monkey-see, monkey-do punditry. They see Amazon and Google have smaller, cheaper units, and then predict Apple plans to do the same. Problem is, Apple isn't competing with the Echo or the Home. They are competing with mostly future, as-yet unreleased products from audio companies like Bose, Sonos, and such. Amazon has no interest in competing in that space, and Google can't, so it's far more likely that the next HomePod will be a more expensive, higher-end unit. George B. Mac himself gives us the basic argument for that -- in the typical price range for Apple iDevices, $350 is the low end. Look toward the higher end, erstwhile pundits, not the other way!
EDIT: I do like the idea of using Apple Music to compete once the space becomes more competitive (and it will, think Android, not just Alexa). One free year of Apple Music with HomePod purchase, or something like that. Or the other way around -- HomePod for $250 with a one-year Apple Music subscription...
I'd like to see Apple go upmarket and make HomePod a floor standing big brother with more power and volume. I think the current model is well priced for the quality and I'd happily buy a more expensive larger sibling.
Literal software features that were demoed last June are still not present a month after its launch. Unacceptable.
A whole month!
9 months after it was demonstrated at WWDC. Promised at launch. Promised for a holiday 2017 launch. Promised to be ready last year and still not even in the betas.
But yes, 1 month after spending thousands on these things which are now scattered about my house as basic airplay speakers that have worse quality than the speakers I have hooked up to airport expresses and Apple TVs.
Apple is serious lacking in voice assistants (Siri), Apple Maps, and desktop Macs (Mac Pro, Mac mini). Kind of hopeless at this point for all three.
Seems you haven't used Maps in 5 years huh.?
It might be great in the USA but at least here in OZ apple maps is absolute garbage. In a major city apple maps put us 2km in the wrong direction by foot to a restaurant. I was stupid to not have doble checked with google maps, now I just use google maps it has superior voice recognition, better transport and map data, vastly better directions, street view which I use daily, and most importantly the map data has not failed me ever. Apple Maps sucks for my use case which is get directions to places.
Apple is serious lacking in voice assistants (Siri), Apple Maps, and desktop Macs (Mac Pro, Mac mini). Kind of hopeless at this point for all three.
Seems you haven't used Maps in 5 years huh.?
It might be great in the USA but at least here in OZ apple maps is absolute garbage. In a major city apple maps put us 2km in the wrong direction by foot to a restaurant. I was stupid to not have doble checked with google maps, now I just use google maps it has superior voice recognition, better transport and map data, vastly better directions, street view which I use daily, and most importantly the map data has not failed me ever. Apple Maps sucks for my use case which is get directions to places.
Well, most of these things you're wrong on AGAIN, so hey, whatever. Seems you haven't tried it lately at all.
I think they should lower the price right now. And really, really do something about SIRI. Urgently. Maybe lower the price when announcing a slew of new mac, iPad and iPhone SE upgrades to reduce attention to the move. Apple has done this before, not least with the original iPhone. Do it this month. And reimburse early adopters the price difference. And be open about it - new market, positioning, Yada yada. Emphasise what incredible value it is at the new price point. No matter how hard Apple tries to position it as a high quality speaker with smart features, it is regarded by the market as a smart speaker. Thus price is important. Apple has no history in high quality audiophile speakers, but does in electronic smarts. Problem is, SIRI’s outdated performance has been highly exposed by this product. This will eventually impact on more important product sales as it calls into question Apple’s electronic smarts. It should not have been announced let alone released until SIRI had leapfrogged the competition.
Why on earth would they do that?! What purpose would that serve? It seems to be selling just fine. It is the best sounding speaker of its type out there. If you don't like it, don't buy it.
I would have no objection to a less expensive model with less impressive sound, but that's a different discussion.
I just saw an article were new car buyers (Volkswagen maybe) got six months free of Apple Music. There should be a similar promotion for HomePod.
BMW gives 1-yr Satellite radio.
As do many other car manufacturers, such as FCA. BMW also thinks its a privilege to have CarPlay so they think they can nickel and dime you. Never buying a BMW as long as they're doing business this way. I can get a much cheaper vehicle with more features with similar quality and not have to worry about being nickel and dime'd.
Literal software features that were demoed last June are still not present a month after its launch. Unacceptable.
A whole month!
9 months after it was demonstrated at WWDC. Promised at launch. Promised for a holiday 2017 launch. Promised to be ready last year and still not even in the betas.
But yes, 1 month after spending thousands on these things which are now scattered about my house as basic airplay speakers that have worse quality than the speakers I have hooked up to airport expresses and Apple TVs.
I don't recall any promise. Sounds like you have some sort of spending disorder.
EDIT: I do like the idea of using Apple Music to compete once the space becomes more competitive (and it will, think Android, not just Alexa). One free year of Apple Music with HomePod purchase, or something like that. Or the other way around -- HomePod for $250 with a one-year Apple Music subscription...
I do like reading these competing comments about HomePod. It seems there are many people out there that have pretty strong opinions about this device and its service. I'm not among them. I can appreciate a talk-to music dispenser. If you have continuous music in your life, this seems pretty valuable. The cost is $350 up front, and $120/yr. Yes, there's a trial freebie, but that is the established cost. Plus tax. Maybe you already have AM on other devices, and have made that expense.
I don't find value at these costs. YMMV, and I respect your choice. But until that cost comes down significantly, I'm out. Maybe a one time purchase at $350, but I'd want free AM on it for life *on that device*. And i doubt that will be offered.
My new car manufacturer threw in an XMSirius radio on the option I wanted to get CarPlay. 6 mos free. I upped for a year after that at $100. It wasn't worth it, and I won't renew.
Apple is serious lacking in voice assistants (Siri), Apple Maps, and desktop Macs (Mac Pro, Mac mini). Kind of hopeless at this point for all three.
Hopeless? Smh...
Would you buy a Mac Mini or Mac Pro right now?
I know I wouldn't.
If I had a need for a mini, I would prob opt for something older with i7 becasue I liked the idea of being able to upgrade the HD, RAM etc.My current mid 2011 mini is still alive and working well so I don't really have need to buy a new one. I have no need for the power of the Mac Pro for work or my daily life, so that would be an item that I wouldn't consider buying, refresh or not.
However the OP didn't say that.. and that was why I made a comment. Siri works fine for me, for the things I need it for. Personally I would have been completely fine with Homepod being made without Siri at all. It's a solid sounding speaker that suits my needs for music,Youtube and podcast enjoyment and it lets me use airplay rather than bluetooth!! I use it every day and I think it's starting to even sound better as it's getting more and more broken in from use.
Apple Maps has gotten me to some obscure places here in Pennsylvania where I live and never let me down. So to the OP Hopeless is not a word I would use to describe any of these things, and was a bit of a overly dramatic way to describe them.
Comments
On the topic at hand, just seems like the usual sort of monkey-see, monkey-do punditry. They see Amazon and Google have smaller, cheaper units, and then predict Apple plans to do the same. Problem is, Apple isn't competing with the Echo or the Home. They are competing with mostly future, as-yet unreleased products from audio companies like Bose, Sonos, and such. Amazon has no interest in competing in that space, and Google can't, so it's far more likely that the next HomePod will be a more expensive, higher-end unit. George B. Mac himself gives us the basic argument for that -- in the typical price range for Apple iDevices, $350 is the low end. Look toward the higher end, erstwhile pundits, not the other way!
EDIT: I do like the idea of using Apple Music to compete once the space becomes more competitive (and it will, think Android, not just Alexa). One free year of Apple Music with HomePod purchase, or something like that. Or the other way around -- HomePod for $250 with a one-year Apple Music subscription...
I know I wouldn't.
But yes, 1 month after spending thousands on these things which are now scattered about my house as basic airplay speakers that have worse quality than the speakers I have hooked up to airport expresses and Apple TVs.
If you don't like it, don't buy it.
I would have no objection to a less expensive model with less impressive sound, but that's a different discussion.
I do like reading these competing comments about HomePod. It seems there are many people out there that have pretty strong opinions about this device and its service. I'm not among them. I can appreciate a talk-to music dispenser. If you have continuous music in your life, this seems pretty valuable. The cost is $350 up front, and $120/yr. Yes, there's a trial freebie, but that is the established cost. Plus tax. Maybe you already have AM on other devices, and have made that expense.
I don't find value at these costs. YMMV, and I respect your choice. But until that cost comes down significantly, I'm out. Maybe a one time purchase at $350, but I'd want free AM on it for life *on that device*. And i doubt that will be offered.
My new car manufacturer threw in an XMSirius radio on the option I wanted to get CarPlay. 6 mos free. I upped for a year after that at $100. It wasn't worth it, and I won't renew.
However the OP didn't say that.. and that was why I made a comment. Siri works fine for me, for the things I need it for. Personally I would have been completely fine with Homepod being made without Siri at all. It's a solid sounding speaker that suits my needs for music,Youtube and podcast enjoyment and it lets me use airplay rather than bluetooth!! I use it every day and I think it's starting to even sound better as it's getting more and more broken in from use.
Apple Maps has gotten me to some obscure places here in Pennsylvania where I live and never let me down. So to the OP Hopeless is not a word I would use to describe any of these things, and was a bit of a overly dramatic way to describe them.