pepe779

Soli said:

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.

Wait, so you're telling me using FaceTime on an iPad is too complex and needs to be simplified? My parents (and many other older people) are not using this technology because they are simply not interested in it. I'm sure people at any age are perfectly capable of learning it, they just don't want it, they have different priorities in their lives. But why do you think this speaker device will make things any simpler for less tech savvy people? There are still too many things that can go wrong and somebody will have to be there to help them eventually. And no, I honestly don't understand why Apple is trying to invest in this area either, not sure what are their goal or ambitions with such product.

garfong said:

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.

Because at Amazon they believe they have found an excellent way to capitalize on such silly ideas and are decided to exploit it as much as they possibly can (while the hype isn't over at least).

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?

Soli said:

pepe779 said:

SpamSandwich said:

pepe779 said:

SpamSandwich said:

pepe779 said:

Metriacanthosaurus said:

rogifan_new 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.

SpamSandwich said:

pepe779 said:

SpamSandwich said:

pepe779 said:

Metriacanthosaurus said:

rogifan_new 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.