The oddest thing to me is Siri seems to have gotten dumber over the years with non sequiturs increasing. That could be confirmation bias, however.
Sometimes you have to break things to fix things. If it was truly in full disarray and needed a rewrite, of course things aren't going to work as they did before. You can't do a rewrite of that scale and not break things.
Like others have said, this whole assistant thing is still in its infant stages and sure maybe Amazon is head in certain areas but as a whole, each assistant has its downfalls. Some are better than others at certain tasks. There's no real clear winner IMO. Is Siri perfect? No, but neither is anything else. It really depends on what the assistant was intended for. Siri can do different things on different devices and for obvious reasons. To me, it makes no sense to ask HomePod to say ask it to do something that requires going out to the web. Thats not the intention of HomePod. However, it does other requests very well such as playing a certain song, or turning the lights down to a certain brightness/color, etc.
We'll all see in the next 5 or so years where this all goes and who comes out in the end. I don't really see a clear winner and its hard to gauge who and why that service would be a winner as they all do different things on different devices.
Alexa still sucks. And people still use it for useless things like timers only. So I would say Siri is doing just fine.
Siri does have it's issues. It's much better than many people give it credit for. But Before Apple aquired Siri and it was a App on the iPhone, it actually did a lot more and then Apple ripped a bunch of it out. Why???
Siri also works different on different devices. Seems like Apple really has dumb it down for the HomePod for whatever reason.
Generally for me, Siri works great on my Apple Watch which is where I use it the most. Plus it's everywhere I'm at. I don't have to litter my house with Google home devices or Amazon Echo devices. I do have a Amazon Dot and a Google Mini to play around with. Google works great on a number of things. Alexa is really over rated. I have Cortana on my Windows 10 Desktop which I rarely use as it fails to give me what I want and so it's just faster easier to use the keyboard and mouse.
I have a few significantly complex questions for any one interested, many many many apologies that this is so goddam long I just couldn't stop typing, sorry
We know that Apple's business models revolves around selling premium hardware at premium prices, we also know that intrinsic to the value of that hardware is its deep integration with software specifically calibrated to it. Apple's greatest prowess and economic advantage is its software/hardware integration.
It thus becomes obvious that as the most explicit expression of this notion, Apple's software in the form of iOS and macOS first party apps are central to experiencing this greatness that is Apple devices.
Apple first party apps enjoy unparalleled integration with the OS and the hardware so to truly realize how much better Apple' devices are then Sammy's it is necessary to use as many of their apps wherever possible, if Apple has an app for it it's probably better to use their's just for the integration alone.
As far as I can tell Apple is divided in three major section, hardware/software/design each of these disciplines must perfectly balance the others to create a solid product. Software can't be so ambitious it overruns the hardware and hardware can't be so excessive it can't fit Jony's sexy designs.
Obviously this leads to great overall products but also to considerate decisions and considerate features, the people making software aren't just making it, they have to consider hardware and visa versa, this I think is more damaging that advantageous.
Because the software people aren't just sitting there dreaming up amazing features, every new thing has to go up the chain and approved by the various stakeholders. Then agreed upon by the leadership who then assume responsibility for any bugs and failures.
My 1st questions then become, if the above is actually how Apple works, does this not means that Apple will naturally shy away from supper cool features with high failure risk thus Apple first party apps will not always have the greatest features currently possible because it's not just a build the best coolest software you can? For instance Apple's maps app is better integrated to iOS thus more convenient to use thus more used, but Google maps is technically a superior app such that if it had as much integration with the OS that Apple's maps does it be more preferred by users to the first party app threatening Apple's business model
My 2nd question is if Apple's continued success so heavily depends on users staying inside the Apple universe of first party apps even if they may not be the absolute best there is but are the best integrated, isn't it the risk that if Apple did open up the gates of heaven and allow third party developers full access to the same things that their own apps have with enough protection for the user that these developers who would spend all their time and effort making apps that Apple's just couldn't compete with because Apple doesn't just make apps they just can't dedicate that much man power and focus on apps only that users would stop using first party apps leaving Apple held hostage to external forces they don't control? Case and point when google was fucking with the maps app on iOS till Apple built their own
For instance if Facebook wasn't the shit that it is and was a wonderfull truly loved app that people spent most of their time on iPhone using then Zackuburg woke up one day and went "you know what I don't like that godforsaken notch and we aint bringing facebook to the X" and users who buy the X will not be using face book on it, the one thing people do the most on their phones how many would upgrade to the X ?
My 3rd question is doesn't it behoove Apple then to make sure that no third party app has as much access to the OS as it's own? Further more is it no wonder then that Siri is in such a state, I mean it really doesn't benefit Apple to make Siri supper great. Siri is an assistant her job is to assist you with what ever you may need, at some point very soon we will be able to have natural conversations with these AI's and since it is not possible that everything you could want Siri to do for you will be with in the scope of what Apple as a company does, wont Siri have to deeply integrated with third party services companies to be able to do some of those things?
This will in turn take a little if not a lot of the user's attention away from the Apple univers?
If so doesn't that take us back to the first two problems, if Siri was the best she could be wouldn't that diminish Apple's premium hardware proposition, she lives on the cloud and every device no matter how old would be able to access her so why upgrade ?
If Spotify had as much access and integration as Apple Music would it be at 30m + ? I mean Spotify only makes Spotify how hard would it be for them to put everything they had to creating the best music streamer there is so that they were first choice on Apple devices?
My overall assertion is this, if most of what you did on an Apple device wasn't made by Apple yet was better and more compelling a force determining which devices you used and for how long, Apple's premium hardware proposition would be significantly diminished and Apple knows this, I think Siri just can't be what we want because if she was there'd be even less need to upgrade than there is now and Apple's business model needs upgrades, they make $0.00 from a wonderful Siri on an iPhone 6
Truth or click-bait, none of this matters, as the need/desire to speak commands to your electronics is so miniscule compared to the totality of all other methods of inputs and interactions.
Saying Amazon is winning is like saying a team than went on a 6 game winning streak in May is destined to win the World Series. It's soooo early in the "season" - and I suspect voice recognition, while increasing in importance over time, will remain niche compared type, touch, and perhaps much more advanced forms of AI interpretation (location, proximity, body, facial, eye analysis, sensors, habit analysis..)
Part of the limitation for wider home adoption currently is feedback is very limited (assuming one does not want to keep picking up their iPhone or iPad). But an Apple TV, which can become the visual side of an enriched Siri response, is very intriguing.
Oh, this does indeed matter. Very much. And to deny it is to have one’s head in the sand and just be a cheerleader for Apple. Sorry but I like to think for myself. I rarely use Siri these days except to set an alarm or reminder. Too many times Siri is either “not available” or gets something totally wrong. I have a contact entry for a sushi restaurant and it’s even in my phone favorites. Yet all Siri does if I ask “Call Vic Sushi” is to pull up a web search that shows the restaurant’s web site. I don’t even bother to use Siri on my MacBook Pro since it seems even less capable than on my iPhone and iPad. At this point it’s a bad joke. I don’t have an Alexa or Google device but I am not hearing anything much that Siri does better and in some cases Siri falls far short. Maybe if Cupertino cared more about user experience than OS updates to add more emoji symbols things might be different.
I don't have any major grievances with Siri but I don't ask it to do a whole lot for me. I've used it more with HomePod than I've ever used it before and it seems perfectly adequate for music search, weather, podcast launching, etc., types of things. Granted I'm not trying to break it or go full zoomonkey testing on it.
I am inclined to believe that some of the speculation about disfunction on the Siri team is probably true only because a certain amount of disfunction exists on all product/system teams, especially when the product or system is being questioned or attacked from inside and/or outside of the organization and there is pressure to release. That's just the nature of high intensity teams with people on them. But I doubt it's nearly as chaotic as implied only because of the squeaky wheel factor.
I would also add that issues with a product's architectural design tend to make updates, improvements, and meeting release targets very challenging. When it seems to take forever to move even the smallest of things forward there's probably a fundamental architectural problem. Products that are based on acquired technology and architectures seem to suffer from these issues more often - based on personal experience. Part of it is due to the realization by the acquiring technical team that now owns the technical part of the acquisition that the architecture is fundamentally weak. The technical owners quickly find many of the warts. At the same time the business owners, especially those who were part of the acquisition negotiation, often suffer from sunk cost bias and are hesitant to pay more for the root cause issues to be addressed, i.e., fix or replace the weak architecture. The technical team is then left making lemonade and trying to change a flat tire on a moving vehicle because the acquired technology is now being promoted and rolled out to customers, warts and all.
dtoub said: Oh, this does indeed matter. Very much. And to deny it is to have one’s head in the sand and just be a cheerleader for Apple.
I agree completely. The more capable a digital assistant, the more it's used. In general, it makes home automation more viable.
Using both Alexa and Siri daily shows shortcomings of each that are shared and that are unique to each.
While I root for Siri as macOS and iOS are my platforms of choice, my experience is that Alexa excels where Siri does not, more often than not. My wish is that Siri and HomePod would eliminate the need for Alexa and Dot. But that probably won't happen for years. So I use them both.
The article is only click-bait if the allegations aren't true. Does anybody here have any proof that the author of the original article didn't vet his/her sources? Bueller? No, nobody.
What, it's just not possible that there was infighting in Camelot? Get real. So far, there's nothing so outrageous as to be beyond the realm of not only possibility, but likelihood. Sure the sources broke their NDA. Are they lying? I don't think so.
I too think Siri has become dumber over time, and that's with managing expectations. Alexa is constantly updated with new features and commands. Siri? Not so much. I believe Apple needs to focus on their software in all arenas. In concentrating on phones, the software has suffered.
dtoub said: Oh, this does indeed matter. Very much. And to deny it is to have one’s head in the sand and just be a cheerleader for Apple.
I agree completely. The more capable a digital assistant, the more it's used. In general, it makes home automation more viable.
Using both Alexa and Siri daily shows shortcomings of each that are shared and that are unique to each.
While I root for Siri as macOS and iOS are my platforms of choice, my experience is that Alexa excels where Siri does not, more often than not. My wish is that Siri and HomePod would eliminate the need for Alexa and Dot. But that probably won't happen for years. So I use them both.
The article is only click-bait if the allegations aren't true. Does anybody here have any proof that the author of the original article didn't vet his/her sources? Bueller? No, nobody.
What, it's just not possible that there was infighting in Camelot? Get real. So far, there's nothing so outrageous as to be beyond the realm of not only possibility, but likelihood. Sure the sources broke their NDA. Are they lying? I don't think so.
I too think Siri has become dumber over time, and that's with managing expectations. Alexa is constantly updated with new features and commands. Siri? Not so much. I believe Apple needs to focus on their software in all arenas. In concentrating on phones, the software has suffered.
I'm hoping for some good news at WWCD in June.
" My wish is that Siri and HomePod would eliminate the need for Alexa and Dot. But that probably won't happen for years."
At this point, given the trajectory of Alexa & Google Assistant usage, that won't happen at all. Chances are that would've happened if Apple's Siri leadership & team had their ducks in a row right around the time Siri was acquired.
Exaggerated drama by unnamed people / people who no longer work in the company. Yet not a word from any of the people who have worked with the various Siri collaborations. (Why don't I hear anyone from Yahoo or the weather channel telling us how much disarray is present in the team?)
Siri is best for actions that control your phone, calendar, reminders, organising your life and so on. Google's excels in trivia-like queries which seem to be very very important to people who run comparisons, and basically falls over the moment it's not just a voice input to a Google search.
Alexa and Cortana are hot garbage that get promoted to being better than Siri because that's required if you want to rank Siri last. "Oh Alexa is so good because I can control my <insert service here>" - except they won't tell you that you'll need to structure your command like you're programming code, and even then Alexa might sometimes do it right. "Alexa, turn on my Phillips Hue lightbulb lamp." -- SURE I'VE ADDED IT TO YOUR AMAZON WISH LIST.
...
Literally every "AI Assistant" test I've read places an extraordinary emphasis on garbage queries that a person is rarely, if ever, going to ask, and pays no heed to the queries that a user will be asking, almost repeatedly every day. Because when I'm rushing between meetings or avoiding traffic what I really need to know is why Flamingos have pink feathers, or have a wikipedia article read to me as if this is better than just reading it myself.
With that said, Siri (and all of them) can certainly stand for significant improvements. They're still a ways off being able to decipher the complex meandering queries of a person who isn't tech savvy enough to understand how to structure a direct query. "Oh Hey Siri, I'm heading out to lunch at Pearl beach, should I bring a coat or something lighter, maybe not too warm not too cold?"
i agree that siri has its flaws and certainly the infighting makes it’s course correction a bit difficult. but that’s more than 10 years ago already. someone at apple would have caught up on the gap and done something. i give them the doubt and am just waiting to be surprised with siri 2.0. the concept of a siri store, similar to alexa skills, does sound intriguing though.
macgui said: My wish is that Siri and HomePod would eliminate [my] need for Alexa and Dot. But that probably won't happen for years. So I use them both.
At this point, given the trajectory of Alexa & Google Assistant usage, that won't happen at all. Chances are that would've happened if Apple's Siri leadership & team had their ducks in a row right around the time Siri was acquired.
You're speaking to over all usage for the general population. I suppose I should have used 'my' instead of 'the' but didn't think it necessary given my overall context of 'it's all about me'. See my correction above.
Outside of that, even if Siri's team had indeed been a team, there would still be an Alexa and Google Assistant, and that's a good thing. Everybody needs competition, and generally we, as users, reap benefits.
You may be right, but that will depend more on Apple's trajectory, for me. If Siri does what I want, it won't matter if Alexa does more. I'm not at all comfortable with a Google device in the house, so there isn't one. I'm not all that cozy with Alexa either, but I wear a tinfoil nightcap and hope for the best.
Something about always-on AI DAs bothers me. Occasionally Siri will respond to something from the TV that sounded like 'Siri!' but not 'Hey, Siri...' Siri wakes up, makes a non-sequitier response, and goes back to... sleep? Alexa will wake up and listen for no reason that I can hear. Nothing remotely sounds like 'Alex...!' yet it's awake for several seconds, then goes back too... sleep. It's like your can quietly sleeping then suddenly popping it's head up, looking around furtively, then thinking 'Serial killer!' and going back to sleep. Or it's just Bezos or the NSA making a routine sweep.
That may explain why, after watching porn, Amazon gives me recommendations for condoms, lube, rope, and salves.
A few people that I work with love Alexa because they can ask the time while they lay in bed. We weren't talking in a group by the way. I had individual conversations with people that said the same thing. They love that they can lay in bed and ask the time. I was like... it takes more effort to speak than to just look at the clock? Ok then? hahaha
And I like a voice controlled alarm clock because it's easy to set without having to reach for it.
Except that Alexa totally sucks at it and Siri does it very well. If you say "set an alarm for 6:30" Alexa asks you if it's AM or PM, and I haven't figured out a way to answer that; it's almost like she tells you that YOU have to say "6.30 A.M." or she'll ignore you. Siri handles this just fine.
Alexa still sucks. And people still use it for useless things like timers only. So I would say Siri is doing just fine.
A few people that I work with love Alexa because they can ask the time while they lay in bed. We weren't talking in a group by the way. I had individual conversations with people that said the same thing. They love that they can lay in bed and ask the time. I was like... it takes more effort to speak than to just look at the clock? Ok then? hahaha
I have been doing this for years with Siri, so I don't see why people get excited when Alexa did the same but not when Siri did.
I'm sorry to say this, even though it's plainly obvious, but Siri is fucking terrible. And I’m trying my best to keep the bar as low as possible. Siri is terrible at things it was supposed to do six %&#@ing years ago! It’s pathetic. Anyone trying to make excuses for siri is lying to themselves, and not doing Apple any favors by doing so.
Going tit for tat with alexa or google now does not make siri not suck. Saying that this is the early days of voice is horrible excuse, since siri sucks at basic things that it was supposed to do from day 1. Saying people don't use it for things other than simple tasks and reminders is incredibly fucking naive; people only use it for that because that's all it does in a remotely reliable fashion!
I have a HomePod and I cringe every time I try to use it. Not having a visual interface means Siri needs to be excellent. But Siri is still shit. I could list a ton of basic examples but it gets tedious.. playlists will only start from the beginning.. it doesn’t recognize artist names that remotely deviate from perfect English (which is a ton of them).. doesn’t even recognize some of the content on apple music even when it’s also on my phone.. cant give more than one command at a time.. if it tell siri "don't play songs like this" I get the response (and I'm not joking) "ok, more songs like ____ coming up!" if I say "stop playing songs like this" I'll get the response (again, not joking) "ok, more songs like ____ coming up," I finally decided to say "this song sucks" and I got the response I wanted: "ok, I'll play less songs like this in the future." And even BASIC fucking things that siri should be doing on homepod.. me: "hey siri, play anjunadeep volume seven [Anjunadeep 07]" ..siri has no fucking clue.. me again: "siri, play anjunadeep number 7", again, siri has no fucking clue, me again: "siri, play anjunadeep 7" she finally fucking plays it.. "ok, now playing anjunadeep seven" ..on and on and on..
Siri is pathetic.
I’ve never, ever been a Cook basher. With almost everything up to this point I think Tim's done an excellent job. But at this point he should have done something about Siri. Seems like letting eddie cue go should’ve been done a long time ago (quick aside: yet he’s now being given a blank check to buy content??; of all people cue is being trusted to have good taste??? Unbelievable.). Also, at this point Apple should have thousands of employees working on Siri, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Siri is so clearly the future cornerstone of the ecosystem, if it isn't already, Apple allowing siri to remain so bad for so long at even the most basic tasks and reliability isn't a great sign.
As both an Apple fan and an Apple consumer, Siri is beyond frustrating.
How could Apple rush a product to market which was already a product
available in the market when Apple purchase Siri. The biggest complaint I
heard about the post acquisition of Siri was Apple hobbled some of the
features which were available in Siri prior to the acquisition.I
think we have another example of sour grapes from previous employees.
Keep in mind Siri prior to acquisition was collecting user information
and was willing to sell your habits to the highest bidder. Apple had to
resolve this issue with their stated core value of protecting your
privacy.This has been the biggest issue with
Apple and the AI world, the AI world believe they need to know
everything about you to make AI work and Apple is trying to find a way
to know you without knowing you.
I can tell you Apple is making improvement with Siri in the homepod. First we asked it about an actress and which shows she was on and Siri came back first and said they she did not understand the event we asked for but we could ask her about sporting events like Football, soccer, cricket, ect... Now that is new on Homepod Siri. When she did understand the original question she said you will find the answer on the iOS device we were holding. We look down at the device and there was all kinds of webpages we could choose to read. Now I thought this was a much better solution than to make us listen to Siri speak about the actress. Alexa can not do this for you, it can not interact with other devices.
I use SIRI all the time and it works just fine. SIRI has the best voice. Apple Maps totally Rocks with SIRI. Home automation works great with all the lights in my house using Lutron Cassetta HomeKit switches.
One of my favorite SIRI tricks is to solve math problems such as integrals and derivatives of bizarre functions using the Wolfram Alpha back-end. It totally rocks.
The oddest thing to me is Siri seems to have gotten dumber over the years with non sequiturs increasing. That could be confirmation bias, however.
Agreed. I bet you 4 out of 5 times I ask Siri something the response is "I found this on the web for ..." Hell, I could have done that! What good is a digital assistant if she can't find me information in a digital universe? Oh, that's right, it can make an appointment for me, send a message for me, and play my favorite song. I bet it can even take a selfie of me and post it with an emoji! Now that is why I need a digital assistant!
I'm sorry to say this, even though it's plainly obvious, but Siri is fucking terrible. And I’m trying my best to keep the bar as low as possible. Siri is terrible at things it was supposed to do six %&#@ing years ago! It’s pathetic. Anyone trying to make excuses for siri is lying to themselves, and not doing Apple any favors by doing so.
Going tit for tat with alexa or google now does not make siri not suck. Saying that this is the early days of voice is horrible excuse, since siri sucks at basic things that it was supposed to do from day 1. Saying people don't use it for things other than simple tasks and reminders is incredibly fucking naive; people only use it for that because that's all it does in a remotely reliable fashion!
I have a HomePod and I cringe every time I try to use it. Not having a visual interface means Siri needs to be excellent. But Siri is still shit. I could list a ton of basic examples but it gets tedious.. playlists will only start from the beginning.. it doesn’t recognize artist names that remotely deviate from perfect English (which is a ton of them).. doesn’t even recognize some of the content on apple music even when it’s also on my phone.. cant give more than one command at a time.. if it tell siri "don't play songs like this" I get the response (and I'm not joking) "ok, more songs like ____ coming up!" if I say "stop playing songs like this" I'll get the response (again, not joking) "ok, more songs like ____ coming up," I finally decided to say "this song sucks" and I got the response I wanted: "ok, I'll play less songs like this in the future." And even BASIC fucking things that siri should be doing on homepod.. me: "hey siri, play anjunadeep volume seven [Anjunadeep 07]" ..siri has no fucking clue.. me again: "siri, play anjunadeep number 7", again, siri has no fucking clue, me again: "siri, play anjunadeep 7" she finally fucking plays it.. "ok, now playing anjunadeep seven" ..on and on and on..
Siri is pathetic.
I’ve never, ever been a Cook basher. With almost everything up to this point I think Tim's done an excellent job. But at this point he should have done something about Siri. Seems like letting eddie cue go should’ve been done a long time ago (quick aside: yet he’s now being given a blank check to buy content??; of all people cue is being trusted to have good taste??? Unbelievable.). Also, at this point Apple should have thousands of employees working on Siri, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Siri is so clearly the future cornerstone of the ecosystem, if it isn't already, Apple allowing siri to remain so bad for so long at even the most basic tasks and reliability isn't a great sign.
As both an Apple fan and an Apple consumer, Siri is beyond frustrating.
"Seems like letting eddie cue go should’ve been done a long time ago"
Been saying this for awhile. Up until the time Federighi was put in charge of Siri, her lack of quality was a reflection of her leadership and that fell on Cue's shoulders. Only good thing that's happened under Eddy Cue is Apple Pay.
Comments
Like others have said, this whole assistant thing is still in its infant stages and sure maybe Amazon is head in certain areas but as a whole, each assistant has its downfalls. Some are better than others at certain tasks. There's no real clear winner IMO. Is Siri perfect? No, but neither is anything else. It really depends on what the assistant was intended for. Siri can do different things on different devices and for obvious reasons. To me, it makes no sense to ask HomePod to say ask it to do something that requires going out to the web. Thats not the intention of HomePod. However, it does other requests very well such as playing a certain song, or turning the lights down to a certain brightness/color, etc.
We'll all see in the next 5 or so years where this all goes and who comes out in the end. I don't really see a clear winner and its hard to gauge who and why that service would be a winner as they all do different things on different devices.
Siri does have it's issues. It's much better than many people give it credit for. But Before Apple aquired Siri and it was a App on the iPhone, it actually did a lot more and then Apple ripped a bunch of it out. Why???
Siri also works different on different devices. Seems like Apple really has dumb it down for the HomePod for whatever reason.
Generally for me, Siri works great on my Apple Watch which is where I use it the most. Plus it's everywhere I'm at. I don't have to litter my house with Google home devices or Amazon Echo devices. I do have a Amazon Dot and a Google Mini to play around with. Google works great on a number of things. Alexa is really over rated. I have Cortana on my Windows 10 Desktop which I rarely use as it fails to give me what I want and so it's just faster easier to use the keyboard and mouse.
We know that Apple's business models revolves around selling premium hardware at premium prices, we also know that intrinsic to the value of that hardware is its deep integration with software specifically calibrated to it. Apple's greatest prowess and economic advantage is its software/hardware integration. It thus becomes obvious that as the most explicit expression of this notion, Apple's software in the form of iOS and macOS first party apps are central to experiencing this greatness that is Apple devices.
Apple first party apps enjoy unparalleled integration with the OS and the hardware so to truly realize how much better Apple' devices are then Sammy's it is necessary to use as many of their apps wherever possible, if Apple has an app for it it's probably better to use their's just for the integration alone. As far as I can tell Apple is divided in three major section, hardware/software/design each of these disciplines must perfectly balance the others to create a solid product. Software can't be so ambitious it overruns the hardware and hardware can't be so excessive it can't fit Jony's sexy designs.
Obviously this leads to great overall products but also to considerate decisions and considerate features, the people making software aren't just making it, they have to consider hardware and visa versa, this I think is more damaging that advantageous. Because the software people aren't just sitting there dreaming up amazing features, every new thing has to go up the chain and approved by the various stakeholders. Then agreed upon by the leadership who then assume responsibility for any bugs and failures.
My 1st questions then become, if the above is actually how Apple works, does this not means that Apple will naturally shy away from supper cool features with high failure risk thus Apple first party apps will not always have the greatest features currently possible because it's not just a build the best coolest software you can?
For instance Apple's maps app is better integrated to iOS thus more convenient to use thus more used, but Google maps is technically a superior app such that if it had as much integration with the OS that Apple's maps does it be more preferred by users to the first party app threatening Apple's business model
My 2nd question is if Apple's continued success so heavily depends on users staying inside the Apple universe of first party apps even if they may not be the absolute best there is but are the best integrated, isn't it the risk that if Apple did open up the gates of heaven and allow third party developers full access to the same things that their own apps have with enough protection for the user that these developers who would spend all their time and effort making apps that Apple's just couldn't compete with because Apple doesn't just make apps they just can't dedicate that much man power and focus on apps only that users would stop using first party apps leaving Apple held hostage to external forces they don't control? Case and point when google was fucking with the maps app on iOS till Apple built their own
For instance if Facebook wasn't the shit that it is and was a wonderfull truly loved app that people spent most of their time on iPhone using then Zackuburg woke up one day and went "you know what I don't like that godforsaken notch and we aint bringing facebook to the X" and users who buy the X will not be using face book on it, the one thing people do the most on their phones how many would upgrade to the X ?
My 3rd question is doesn't it behoove Apple then to make sure that no third party app has as much access to the OS as it's own? Further more is it no wonder then that Siri is in such a state, I mean it really doesn't benefit Apple to make Siri supper great. Siri is an assistant her job is to assist you with what ever you may need, at some point very soon we will be able to have natural conversations with these AI's and since it is not possible that everything you could want Siri to do for you will be with in the scope of what Apple as a company does, wont Siri have to deeply integrated with third party services companies to be able to do some of those things?
This will in turn take a little if not a lot of the user's attention away from the Apple univers? If so doesn't that take us back to the first two problems, if Siri was the best she could be wouldn't that diminish Apple's premium hardware proposition, she lives on the cloud and every device no matter how old would be able to access her so why upgrade ?
If Spotify had as much access and integration as Apple Music would it be at 30m + ? I mean Spotify only makes Spotify how hard would it be for them to put everything they had to creating the best music streamer there is so that they were first choice on Apple devices? My overall assertion is this, if most of what you did on an Apple device wasn't made by Apple yet was better and more compelling a force determining which devices you used and for how long, Apple's premium hardware proposition would be significantly diminished and Apple knows this, I think Siri just can't be what we want because if she was there'd be even less need to upgrade than there is now and Apple's business model needs upgrades, they make $0.00 from a wonderful Siri on an iPhone 6
Thoughts?
I am inclined to believe that some of the speculation about disfunction on the Siri team is probably true only because a certain amount of disfunction exists on all product/system teams, especially when the product or system is being questioned or attacked from inside and/or outside of the organization and there is pressure to release. That's just the nature of high intensity teams with people on them. But I doubt it's nearly as chaotic as implied only because of the squeaky wheel factor.
I would also add that issues with a product's architectural design tend to make updates, improvements, and meeting release targets very challenging. When it seems to take forever to move even the smallest of things forward there's probably a fundamental architectural problem. Products that are based on acquired technology and architectures seem to suffer from these issues more often - based on personal experience. Part of it is due to the realization by the acquiring technical team that now owns the technical part of the acquisition that the architecture is fundamentally weak. The technical owners quickly find many of the warts. At the same time the business owners, especially those who were part of the acquisition negotiation, often suffer from sunk cost bias and are hesitant to pay more for the root cause issues to be addressed, i.e., fix or replace the weak architecture. The technical team is then left making lemonade and trying to change a flat tire on a moving vehicle because the acquired technology is now being promoted and rolled out to customers, warts and all.
Using both Alexa and Siri daily shows shortcomings of each that are shared and that are unique to each.
While I root for Siri as macOS and iOS are my platforms of choice, my experience is that Alexa excels where Siri does not, more often than not. My wish is that Siri and HomePod would eliminate the need for Alexa and Dot. But that probably won't happen for years. So I use them both.
The article is only click-bait if the allegations aren't true. Does anybody here have any proof that the author of the original article didn't vet his/her sources? Bueller? No, nobody.
What, it's just not possible that there was infighting in Camelot? Get real. So far, there's nothing so outrageous as to be beyond the realm of not only possibility, but likelihood. Sure the sources broke their NDA. Are they lying? I don't think so.
I too think Siri has become dumber over time, and that's with managing expectations. Alexa is constantly updated with new features and commands. Siri? Not so much. I believe Apple needs to focus on their software in all arenas. In concentrating on phones, the software has suffered.
I'm hoping for some good news at WWCD in June.
At this point, given the trajectory of Alexa & Google Assistant usage, that won't happen at all. Chances are that would've happened if Apple's Siri leadership & team had their ducks in a row right around the time Siri was acquired.
Siri is best for actions that control your phone, calendar, reminders, organising your life and so on. Google's excels in trivia-like queries which seem to be very very important to people who run comparisons, and basically falls over the moment it's not just a voice input to a Google search.
Alexa and Cortana are hot garbage that get promoted to being better than Siri because that's required if you want to rank Siri last. "Oh Alexa is so good because I can control my <insert service here>" - except they won't tell you that you'll need to structure your command like you're programming code, and even then Alexa might sometimes do it right. "Alexa, turn on my Phillips Hue lightbulb lamp." -- SURE I'VE ADDED IT TO YOUR AMAZON WISH LIST.
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Literally every "AI Assistant" test I've read places an extraordinary emphasis on garbage queries that a person is rarely, if ever, going to ask, and pays no heed to the queries that a user will be asking, almost repeatedly every day. Because when I'm rushing between meetings or avoiding traffic what I really need to know is why Flamingos have pink feathers, or have a wikipedia article read to me as if this is better than just reading it myself.
With that said, Siri (and all of them) can certainly stand for significant improvements. They're still a ways off being able to decipher the complex meandering queries of a person who isn't tech savvy enough to understand how to structure a direct query. "Oh Hey Siri, I'm heading out to lunch at Pearl beach, should I bring a coat or something lighter, maybe not too warm not too cold?"
Outside of that, even if Siri's team had indeed been a team, there would still be an Alexa and Google Assistant, and that's a good thing. Everybody needs competition, and generally we, as users, reap benefits.
You may be right, but that will depend more on Apple's trajectory, for me. If Siri does what I want, it won't matter if Alexa does more. I'm not at all comfortable with a Google device in the house, so there isn't one. I'm not all that cozy with Alexa either, but I wear a tinfoil nightcap and hope for the best.
Something about always-on AI DAs bothers me. Occasionally Siri will respond to something from the TV that sounded like 'Siri!' but not 'Hey, Siri...' Siri wakes up, makes a non-sequitier response, and goes back to... sleep? Alexa will wake up and listen for no reason that I can hear. Nothing remotely sounds like 'Alex...!' yet it's awake for several seconds, then goes back too... sleep. It's like your can quietly sleeping then suddenly popping it's head up, looking around furtively, then thinking 'Serial killer!' and going back to sleep. Or it's just Bezos or the NSA making a routine sweep.
That may explain why, after watching porn, Amazon gives me recommendations for condoms, lube, rope, and salves.
I'm sorry to say this, even though it's plainly obvious, but Siri is fucking terrible. And I’m trying my best to keep the bar as low as possible. Siri is terrible at things it was supposed to do six %&#@ing years ago! It’s pathetic. Anyone trying to make excuses for siri is lying to themselves, and not doing Apple any favors by doing so.
Going tit for tat with alexa or google now does not make siri not suck. Saying that this is the early days of voice is horrible excuse, since siri sucks at basic things that it was supposed to do from day 1. Saying people don't use it for things other than simple tasks and reminders is incredibly fucking naive; people only use it for that because that's all it does in a remotely reliable fashion!
I have a HomePod and I cringe every time I try to use it. Not having a visual interface means Siri needs to be excellent. But Siri is still shit. I could list a ton of basic examples but it gets tedious.. playlists will only start from the beginning.. it doesn’t recognize artist names that remotely deviate from perfect English (which is a ton of them).. doesn’t even recognize some of the content on apple music even when it’s also on my phone.. cant give more than one command at a time.. if it tell siri "don't play songs like this" I get the response (and I'm not joking) "ok, more songs like ____ coming up!" if I say "stop playing songs like this" I'll get the response (again, not joking) "ok, more songs like ____ coming up," I finally decided to say "this song sucks" and I got the response I wanted: "ok, I'll play less songs like this in the future." And even BASIC fucking things that siri should be doing on homepod.. me: "hey siri, play anjunadeep volume seven [Anjunadeep 07]" ..siri has no fucking clue.. me again: "siri, play anjunadeep number 7", again, siri has no fucking clue, me again: "siri, play anjunadeep 7" she finally fucking plays it.. "ok, now playing anjunadeep seven" ..on and on and on.. Siri is pathetic.
I’ve never, ever been a Cook basher. With almost everything up to this point I think Tim's done an excellent job. But at this point he should have done something about Siri. Seems like letting eddie cue go should’ve been done a long time ago (quick aside: yet he’s now being given a blank check to buy content??; of all people cue is being trusted to have good taste??? Unbelievable.). Also, at this point Apple should have thousands of employees working on Siri, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Siri is so clearly the future cornerstone of the ecosystem, if it isn't already, Apple allowing siri to remain so bad for so long at even the most basic tasks and reliability isn't a great sign.
As both an Apple fan and an Apple consumer, Siri is beyond frustrating.
I can tell you Apple is making improvement with Siri in the homepod. First we asked it about an actress and which shows she was on and Siri came back first and said they she did not understand the event we asked for but we could ask her about sporting events like Football, soccer, cricket, ect... Now that is new on Homepod Siri. When she did understand the original question she said you will find the answer on the iOS device we were holding. We look down at the device and there was all kinds of webpages we could choose to read. Now I thought this was a much better solution than to make us listen to Siri speak about the actress. Alexa can not do this for you, it can not interact with other devices.
SIRI has the best voice.
Apple Maps totally Rocks with SIRI.
Home automation works great with all the lights in my house using Lutron Cassetta HomeKit switches.
One of my favorite SIRI tricks is to solve math problems such as integrals and derivatives of bizarre functions using the Wolfram Alpha back-end. It totally rocks.
Been saying this for awhile. Up until the time Federighi was put in charge of Siri, her lack of quality was a reflection of her leadership and that fell on Cue's shoulders. Only good thing that's happened under Eddy Cue is Apple Pay.