Amazon announces premium touchscreen $230 Echo Show, allowing Alexa to 'show you things'

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 153
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,212member
    NY1822 said:

    My point is Google and Facebook will create their own hardware as a platform to show more ads
    My point is Google and Facebook will create their own hardware as a platform to show ONLY ads unless the voice assistant is being used

    There fixed it for you.
    Google Now and Assistant don't "only show ads" now. No idea why you believe another one with a screen (your phone has one) would. I don't think you fixed it for him. 
    edited May 2017 singularity
  • Reply 62 of 153
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    pepe779 said:
    So basically this is a niche device for the kitchen. As far as connecting with parents or kids can't you do that already with your phone or tablet using FaceTime, Skype etc.?
    I would like an Apple-version of this type of device for the kitchen counter.

    A counter fixture that has a Today View for the family's events, weather info, Siri, FaceTime, etc. My house would get a lot of use out of that. In some ways, more convenient than using someone's iPad, which is what happens today.

    IMO this product I have in mind from Apple is no way shape or form similar to the Echo or Home products' use case.
    You can get a used iPad for less than $200 and a new one for under #300 and nothing prevents you from fixing it to your kitchen counter. I don't know if it's just me but this Echo Show concept is just one epic and absurd rip off.
    I think they are really on the leading edge of creating the market for an in-home artificial intelligence companion/ assistant for millions of people.
    Have you used a digital photo album?  It was an innovation and sold to millions of people.  When the iPad came out it disappeared quickly from the market.  The Echo Show is in a very similar situation. If Amazon first bring out Echo Show before iPad, it will be quickly obsoleted by the iPad.  Amazon is trying a reverse way.  This is puzzling about the innovation of Bezos. 
    roundaboutnow
  • Reply 63 of 153
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    So basically this is a niche device for the kitchen. As far as connecting with parents or kids can't you do that already with your phone or tablet using FaceTime, Skype etc.?
    I would like an Apple-version of this type of device for the kitchen counter.

    A counter fixture that has a Today View for the family's events, weather info, Siri, FaceTime, etc. My house would get a lot of use out of that. In some ways, more convenient than using someone's iPad, which is what happens today.

    IMO this product I have in mind from Apple is no way shape or form similar to the Echo or Home products' use case.
    You can get a used iPad for less than $200 and a new one for under #300 and nothing prevents you from fixing it to your kitchen counter. I don't know if it's just me but this Echo Show concept is just one epic and absurd rip off.
    I think they are really on the leading edge of creating the market for an in-home artificial intelligence companion/ assistant for millions of people.
    In what way exactly? People who use their smartphones/tablets on a daily basis have absolutely no need for such dedicated (and overpriced) device. People who avoid any technology beyond their flip phones are not going to use this in any shape or form either. Most of the people who actually bought the Echo speaker only did it because of the hype, but I don't know a single person still actually using it. You call it artificial intelligence companion for your home, I call it a feature that's been separated from your smartphone/tablet and is now being sold for the price of your whole smartphone/tablet. Truly wise move Amazon, I applaud you.
    There are about 76 million Baby Boomers, and their parents are additional to that. That audience, much of which is technology averse, is what this product is attempting to target.
  • Reply 64 of 153
    omasouomasou Posts: 572member
    Innovation = Alexa show me x. My closest connected device response, i.e. iPad, iPhone, TV, etc. and shows me what I asked for....
  • Reply 65 of 153
    pepe779pepe779 Posts: 84member
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    So basically this is a niche device for the kitchen. As far as connecting with parents or kids can't you do that already with your phone or tablet using FaceTime, Skype etc.?
    I would like an Apple-version of this type of device for the kitchen counter.

    A counter fixture that has a Today View for the family's events, weather info, Siri, FaceTime, etc. My house would get a lot of use out of that. In some ways, more convenient than using someone's iPad, which is what happens today.

    IMO this product I have in mind from Apple is no way shape or form similar to the Echo or Home products' use case.
    You can get a used iPad for less than $200 and a new one for under #300 and nothing prevents you from fixing it to your kitchen counter. I don't know if it's just me but this Echo Show concept is just one epic and absurd rip off.
    I think they are really on the leading edge of creating the market for an in-home artificial intelligence companion/ assistant for millions of people.
    In what way exactly? People who use their smartphones/tablets on a daily basis have absolutely no need for such dedicated (and overpriced) device. People who avoid any technology beyond their flip phones are not going to use this in any shape or form either. Most of the people who actually bought the Echo speaker only did it because of the hype, but I don't know a single person still actually using it. You call it artificial intelligence companion for your home, I call it a feature that's been separated from your smartphone/tablet and is now being sold for the price of your whole smartphone/tablet. Truly wise move Amazon, I applaud you.
    There are about 76 million Baby Boomers, and their parents are additional to that. That audience, much of which is technology averse, is what this product is attempting to target.
    Okay now you made me laugh. So if this is the target audience, how will they even discover such product exists (unless their kids buy it for them as a present)? What % of these people will actually be using it? I know my parents wouldn't, flip phones are the most they will ever be willing to accept in their lives. So I'm pretty sure this is not the primary reason Bezos & co. are developing these gimmicks.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 66 of 153
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    So basically this is a niche device for the kitchen. As far as connecting with parents or kids can't you do that already with your phone or tablet using FaceTime, Skype etc.?
    I would like an Apple-version of this type of device for the kitchen counter.

    A counter fixture that has a Today View for the family's events, weather info, Siri, FaceTime, etc. My house would get a lot of use out of that. In some ways, more convenient than using someone's iPad, which is what happens today.

    IMO this product I have in mind from Apple is no way shape or form similar to the Echo or Home products' use case.
    You can get a used iPad for less than $200 and a new one for under #300 and nothing prevents you from fixing it to your kitchen counter. I don't know if it's just me but this Echo Show concept is just one epic and absurd rip off.
    I think they are really on the leading edge of creating the market for an in-home artificial intelligence companion/ assistant for millions of people.
    In what way exactly? People who use their smartphones/tablets on a daily basis have absolutely no need for such dedicated (and overpriced) device. People who avoid any technology beyond their flip phones are not going to use this in any shape or form either. Most of the people who actually bought the Echo speaker only did it because of the hype, but I don't know a single person still actually using it. You call it artificial intelligence companion for your home, I call it a feature that's been separated from your smartphone/tablet and is now being sold for the price of your whole smartphone/tablet. Truly wise move Amazon, I applaud you.
    There are about 76 million Baby Boomers, and their parents are additional to that. That audience, much of which is technology averse, is what this product is attempting to target.
    Okay now you made me laugh. So if this is the target audience, how will they even discover such product exists (unless their kids buy it for them as a present)? What % of these people will actually be using it? I know my parents wouldn't, flip phones are the most they will ever be willing to accept in their lives. So I'm pretty sure this is not the primary reason Bezos & co. are developing these gimmicks.
    1) You know most people procreate and that Mother's Day (US) is right around the corner, right? My older family menbers have had Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, Netflix, Facebook, Words with Friends app. Nest thermostats, Echos, and countless other "technologies" because of what their kids, the younger enervation, or even some usage on TV on the radio as a review, ad, or general usage in a series has piqued their interest.

    2) But you're correct that Bezos' primary reason for anything isn't your parents. From your statement, even Amazon selling books online would be a stupid idea of your parents were the target market.
    edited May 2017
  • Reply 67 of 153
    sflagelsflagel Posts: 805member
    pepe779 said:
    sflagel said:
    pepe779 said:
    I still find it hard to believe how these companies are clearly out of truly innovative ideas and instead fool people with products that offer zero added value and - most of all - that people are actually buying it. I have said it before and will say it again - there's no reason whatsoever to buy and use this product instead of simply using an iPad (or any other tablet for that matter) with its voice assistant enabled and listening. I thought price may be at least one possible justification here, but now I see that's not the case either. But if anybody can think of at least one solid use case for these "smart speakers" (something your tablet or smarphone can't do or perhaps isn't suitable for), please, let me know, because I guess I'm just not getting it.
    Better microphones that actually understand what you are trying to say. That's it.
    Okay well I'm not a native english speaker yet I rarely ever had/have any issues having Siri understand me. But yes, fair enough, this is a good argument, although some real world testing would probably be in order to actually confirm how much better it truly is.
    I don't have an Echo, but the reviews I read highlight how good it understands you even from across the room with background noise. Siri on iPhone can't hear you well from more than 6 feet away and then you have to shout (and you will barely be able to hear Siri's answer). In my view, a dock with a good speaker and microphone is all that is needed for "Siri HomePlay".
    Soliroundaboutnow
  • Reply 68 of 153
    spacekidspacekid Posts: 183member
    Hopefully for Apple's similar product, they allow facetime. I've been hoping for facetime with AppleTV so we can all sit around the TV and talk to family but that hasn't happened.
  • Reply 69 of 153
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,876member
    A lot of frickin' naysayers here. No one's holding a gun to anyone's head to buy this. I applaud Amazon for doing this, and pushing the envelope. This is the type of CE device that Apple should have gotten in front of, ages ago. 
    Er but why? the CE devices apple focused on have sold circles around every Echo, likely in a single quarter. so why should Apple have gotten in front of this?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 70 of 153
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member
    spacekid said:
    Hopefully for Apple's similar product, they allow facetime. I've been hoping for facetime with AppleTV so we can all sit around the TV and talk to family but that hasn't happened.
    Why can't you use iPad for FaceTime? 
  • Reply 71 of 153
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    spacekid said:
    Hopefully for Apple's similar product, they allow facetime. I've been hoping for facetime with AppleTV so we can all sit around the TV and talk to family but that hasn't happened.
    Remember when iChat on the desktop used to have 3 people videoconferences? It's aggravating this cannot be done with iOS FaceTime.
  • Reply 72 of 153
    pepe779pepe779 Posts: 84member
    Soli said:
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    So basically this is a niche device for the kitchen. As far as connecting with parents or kids can't you do that already with your phone or tablet using FaceTime, Skype etc.?
    I would like an Apple-version of this type of device for the kitchen counter.

    A counter fixture that has a Today View for the family's events, weather info, Siri, FaceTime, etc. My house would get a lot of use out of that. In some ways, more convenient than using someone's iPad, which is what happens today.

    IMO this product I have in mind from Apple is no way shape or form similar to the Echo or Home products' use case.
    You can get a used iPad for less than $200 and a new one for under #300 and nothing prevents you from fixing it to your kitchen counter. I don't know if it's just me but this Echo Show concept is just one epic and absurd rip off.
    I think they are really on the leading edge of creating the market for an in-home artificial intelligence companion/ assistant for millions of people.
    In what way exactly? People who use their smartphones/tablets on a daily basis have absolutely no need for such dedicated (and overpriced) device. People who avoid any technology beyond their flip phones are not going to use this in any shape or form either. Most of the people who actually bought the Echo speaker only did it because of the hype, but I don't know a single person still actually using it. You call it artificial intelligence companion for your home, I call it a feature that's been separated from your smartphone/tablet and is now being sold for the price of your whole smartphone/tablet. Truly wise move Amazon, I applaud you.
    There are about 76 million Baby Boomers, and their parents are additional to that. That audience, much of which is technology averse, is what this product is attempting to target.
    Okay now you made me laugh. So if this is the target audience, how will they even discover such product exists (unless their kids buy it for them as a present)? What % of these people will actually be using it? I know my parents wouldn't, flip phones are the most they will ever be willing to accept in their lives. So I'm pretty sure this is not the primary reason Bezos & co. are developing these gimmicks.
    1) You know most people procreate and that Mother's Day (US) is right around the corner, right? My older family menbers have had Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, Netflix, Facebook, Words with Friends app. Nest thermostats, Echos, and countless other "technologies" because of what their kids, the younger enervation, or even some usage on TV on the radio as a review, ad, or general usage in a series has piqued their interest.

    2) But you're correct that Bezos' primary reason for anything isn't your parents. From your statement, even Amazon selling books online would be a stupid idea of your parents were the target market.
    To your second point - let's look at it from the highest possible level for a moment. World's population is roughly 7.5 billion people and it is estimated that in 2017 there are approximately 2.3 billion of them owning or using a smartphone. In other words, more than two thirds of the people on this planet don't need / can't afford / don't know what a smartphone is. Now go judge my parents again if you wish, all I'm saying is there are millions upon millions of people just like my parents and no, those people will simply never buy a smartphone, let alone an overpriced one trick pony called Echo.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 73 of 153
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,666member
    igorsky said:
    Some of the defenses of this thing are hilarious.  "Nobody is forcing you to buy it", "its design is personal taste", etc.  How come none of you Amazon apologists present the same defense for Apple products?  Just goes to show how much of a double-standard there is in tech.

    As far as the Echo Show goes...it couldn't be any more inconvenient or redundant when compared to the smartphone you have in your pocket right now.
    Why be so defensive? The points you take issue with are not at all hilarious. They are wholly  reasonable. The phone in your pocket won't always be in your pocket (it could be out of earshot) and isn't as well prepared to function as an Echo device anyway. When you leave your home your phone usually goes with you. That would potentially leave other users in the house without functionality (unless you live alone of course) and this device works out far cheaper than any iPhone.
  • Reply 74 of 153
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    pepe779 said:
    Soli said:
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    So basically this is a niche device for the kitchen. As far as connecting with parents or kids can't you do that already with your phone or tablet using FaceTime, Skype etc.?
    I would like an Apple-version of this type of device for the kitchen counter.

    A counter fixture that has a Today View for the family's events, weather info, Siri, FaceTime, etc. My house would get a lot of use out of that. In some ways, more convenient than using someone's iPad, which is what happens today.

    IMO this product I have in mind from Apple is no way shape or form similar to the Echo or Home products' use case.
    You can get a used iPad for less than $200 and a new one for under #300 and nothing prevents you from fixing it to your kitchen counter. I don't know if it's just me but this Echo Show concept is just one epic and absurd rip off.
    I think they are really on the leading edge of creating the market for an in-home artificial intelligence companion/ assistant for millions of people.
    In what way exactly? People who use their smartphones/tablets on a daily basis have absolutely no need for such dedicated (and overpriced) device. People who avoid any technology beyond their flip phones are not going to use this in any shape or form either. Most of the people who actually bought the Echo speaker only did it because of the hype, but I don't know a single person still actually using it. You call it artificial intelligence companion for your home, I call it a feature that's been separated from your smartphone/tablet and is now being sold for the price of your whole smartphone/tablet. Truly wise move Amazon, I applaud you.
    There are about 76 million Baby Boomers, and their parents are additional to that. That audience, much of which is technology averse, is what this product is attempting to target.
    Okay now you made me laugh. So if this is the target audience, how will they even discover such product exists (unless their kids buy it for them as a present)? What % of these people will actually be using it? I know my parents wouldn't, flip phones are the most they will ever be willing to accept in their lives. So I'm pretty sure this is not the primary reason Bezos & co. are developing these gimmicks.
    1) You know most people procreate and that Mother's Day (US) is right around the corner, right? My older family menbers have had Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, Netflix, Facebook, Words with Friends app. Nest thermostats, Echos, and countless other "technologies" because of what their kids, the younger enervation, or even some usage on TV on the radio as a review, ad, or general usage in a series has piqued their interest.

    2) But you're correct that Bezos' primary reason for anything isn't your parents. From your statement, even Amazon selling books online would be a stupid idea of your parents were the target market.
    To your second point - let's look at it from the highest possible level for a moment. World's population is roughly 7.5 billion people and it is estimated that in 2017 there are approximately 2.3 billion of them owning or using a smartphone. In other words, more than two thirds of the people on this planet don't need / can't afford / don't know what a smartphone is. Now go judge my parents again if you wish, all I'm saying is there are millions upon millions of people just like my parents and no, those people will simply never buy a smartphone, let alone an overpriced one trick pony called Echo.
    And Apple is the highest valued company in the world despite only being in the hands of such a small percentage of the people—a much smaller subset than the "people on this planet don't need / can't afford / don't know what a smartphone is" category. By your statement, Apple's iPhone is pointless since it doesn't address every person on the planet, or even the majority of its inhabitants? Do you not see how ridiculous your claim is?
    anantksundaramgatorguy
  • Reply 75 of 153
    pepe779pepe779 Posts: 84member
    tzeshan said:
    spacekid said:
    Hopefully for Apple's similar product, they allow facetime. I've been hoping for facetime with AppleTV so we can all sit around the TV and talk to family but that hasn't happened.
    Why can't you use iPad for FaceTime? 
    Yeah, I don't understand this way of thinking either. It's also not like whatever product Apple shows us will have a 30+" screen if the TV experience is what he's looking for, so yes, why not using an iPad or a MacBook or simply stream your FaceTime via Apple TV to your TV.
  • Reply 76 of 153
    pepe779pepe779 Posts: 84member
    avon b7 said:
    igorsky said:
    Some of the defenses of this thing are hilarious.  "Nobody is forcing you to buy it", "its design is personal taste", etc.  How come none of you Amazon apologists present the same defense for Apple products?  Just goes to show how much of a double-standard there is in tech.

    As far as the Echo Show goes...it couldn't be any more inconvenient or redundant when compared to the smartphone you have in your pocket right now.
    Why be so defensive? The points you take issue with are not at all hilarious. They are wholly  reasonable. The phone in your pocket won't always be in your pocket (it could be out of earshot) and isn't as well prepared to function as an Echo device anyway. When you leave your home your phone usually goes with you. That would potentially leave other users in the house without functionality (unless you live alone of course) and this device works out far cheaper than any iPhone.
    You've heard about the iPad though, right? You can get it for roughly the same price as the Echo Show + it has tons of other features too and you can leave it at home. Hey, sounds like a great deal, doesn't it? ;)
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 77 of 153
    garfonggarfong Posts: 4member

    Why can't existing iPhones and iPads sit in a stand like this and do the same darned things with siri? I can't see the need for a new device as much as new functionality for existing devices. Just add the functionality to Siri and I'll buy the stand and use it with one of my older, aging iPads.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 78 of 153
    pepe779pepe779 Posts: 84member
    Soli said:
    pepe779 said:
    Soli said:
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    pepe779 said:
    So basically this is a niche device for the kitchen. As far as connecting with parents or kids can't you do that already with your phone or tablet using FaceTime, Skype etc.?
    I would like an Apple-version of this type of device for the kitchen counter.

    A counter fixture that has a Today View for the family's events, weather info, Siri, FaceTime, etc. My house would get a lot of use out of that. In some ways, more convenient than using someone's iPad, which is what happens today.

    IMO this product I have in mind from Apple is no way shape or form similar to the Echo or Home products' use case.
    You can get a used iPad for less than $200 and a new one for under #300 and nothing prevents you from fixing it to your kitchen counter. I don't know if it's just me but this Echo Show concept is just one epic and absurd rip off.
    I think they are really on the leading edge of creating the market for an in-home artificial intelligence companion/ assistant for millions of people.
    In what way exactly? People who use their smartphones/tablets on a daily basis have absolutely no need for such dedicated (and overpriced) device. People who avoid any technology beyond their flip phones are not going to use this in any shape or form either. Most of the people who actually bought the Echo speaker only did it because of the hype, but I don't know a single person still actually using it. You call it artificial intelligence companion for your home, I call it a feature that's been separated from your smartphone/tablet and is now being sold for the price of your whole smartphone/tablet. Truly wise move Amazon, I applaud you.
    There are about 76 million Baby Boomers, and their parents are additional to that. That audience, much of which is technology averse, is what this product is attempting to target.
    Okay now you made me laugh. So if this is the target audience, how will they even discover such product exists (unless their kids buy it for them as a present)? What % of these people will actually be using it? I know my parents wouldn't, flip phones are the most they will ever be willing to accept in their lives. So I'm pretty sure this is not the primary reason Bezos & co. are developing these gimmicks.
    1) You know most people procreate and that Mother's Day (US) is right around the corner, right? My older family menbers have had Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, Netflix, Facebook, Words with Friends app. Nest thermostats, Echos, and countless other "technologies" because of what their kids, the younger enervation, or even some usage on TV on the radio as a review, ad, or general usage in a series has piqued their interest.

    2) But you're correct that Bezos' primary reason for anything isn't your parents. From your statement, even Amazon selling books online would be a stupid idea of your parents were the target market.
    To your second point - let's look at it from the highest possible level for a moment. World's population is roughly 7.5 billion people and it is estimated that in 2017 there are approximately 2.3 billion of them owning or using a smartphone. In other words, more than two thirds of the people on this planet don't need / can't afford / don't know what a smartphone is. Now go judge my parents again if you wish, all I'm saying is there are millions upon millions of people just like my parents and no, those people will simply never buy a smartphone, let alone an overpriced one trick pony called Echo.
    And Apple is the highest valued company in the world despite only being in the hands of such a small percentage of the people—a much smaller subset than the "people on this planet don't need / can't afford / don't know what a smartphone is" category. By your statement, Apple's iPhone is pointless since it doesn't address every person on the planet, or even the majority of its inhabitants? Do you not see how ridiculous your claim is?
    Sorry, no, I don't see how what I said about the Echo devices is related to what you're now saying about Apple's market value. All I'm saying is that I don't understand who the Echo device is for and what is its added value over all the existing tablets out there, nothing more, nothing less.
  • Reply 79 of 153
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    kent909 said:
    Does not speak to high confidence if you discount the product with a promo upon your release announcement.
    I think they are going to sell a lot of these.
    But not as many as Apple sells iPhones so it's a failure. 

    Not sure if I see that many people buying this.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 80 of 153
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    pepe779 said:
    tzeshan said:
    spacekid said:
    Hopefully for Apple's similar product, they allow facetime. I've been hoping for facetime with AppleTV so we can all sit around the TV and talk to family but that hasn't happened.
    Why can't you use iPad for FaceTime? 
    Yeah, I don't understand this way of thinking either. It's also not like whatever product Apple shows us will have a 30+" screen if the TV experience is what he's looking for, so yes, why not using an iPad or a MacBook or simply stream your FaceTime via Apple TV to your TV.
    Wow! You really can't see how those who are less tech savvy might want a simpler device than an iPad or MacBook for stationary FaceTime calls? This is after using your parents as prime examples of techtards, but you can't see user that wants to use video calls without all the complexity of the UI that other devices offer?

    I bet that if this was an Apple product that had all the same services you (and others) would have a very different tune.
    singularity
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