The article hits the nail on the head for me. My son got a google home mini for Christmas last year for free with the chrome book we bought him.
Now we have a home mini on every floor, and we are happy with the relatively cheap price we paid.
Apple’s version either needs to come down in price or offer a lot more for its current price - if it wants a larger share of the market, in my opinion.
But, I think they are different markets. The Home Pod, and Siri more specifically, simply cant compete in the "Home Assistant" space on either a technological nor price front.
Honestly, I would be more interested on Margins and Development costs to bring to production - because it does feel like a product that has a very small core target demographic (apple ecosystem audiophiles(?) not concerned with AI capacity outside of tuning for sound).
> The Home Pod, and Siri more specifically, simply cant compete in the "Home Assistant" space on either a technological nor price front.
I'm not big on Apple products these days, but I disagree.
Today's Apple is as much of a "brand" company as it is a technology company. Apple products have recognizable features, e.g. white cords for ear buds, the shiny Apple logo on the new mac books, etc. Apple wants you to remember you're using their brand almost as much as you enjoy their technology.
That said, the home pod almost looks like it came out of Google/Nest. In fact the top view reminds me of the Nest smoke alarm. There's nothing really "Apple" about it.
>Apple’s Stumbling HomePod Isn’t the Hot Seller It Wanted
Well, just like any other "Pods" out there. Seems ordinary people do not see a point buying them. One of my last tasks back when I worked in a sourcing company 2 years ago, was to investigate what are consumer attitudes to different "random speaking house appliances." It was like 9/10 people will just simply think of them like talking alarm clocks or radios. No wonder people are not spending $200 for a talking alarm clock.
That's because having these hot microphones networked in your house is such a creep concept, and feels extremely far from useful, that the people who do buy them, are simply open to the experimentation, and accepting the dare. I don't think anyone imagines the experiment will bear fruit, but they've made peace with throwing some money away on a thing that seems to be something, somehow.
Personally, I hate the idea of Siri. I see people use Siri and I just shrug. I see people with Apple watches and I just shrug.
But I see a lot more people with Apple watches, than I do using Siri. I never see anyone using Okay Google or Cortana or Alexa.
My instictive judgement tells me that people who go beyond mere experimentation with voice-activated personal assistant software, and come to rely on it, are ridiculous people. When you use these things, there aren't many cues to guess at the response you'll get, and the sensation is not unlike yelling at a deaf child that doesn't speak your language. Will it hear me? Does it understand me? Can it follow basic instructions? (frequently the answers are yes, maybe, and no)
This is even with the low learning curve of a consumer product design.
Virtual assistants aren't fun, feel undiginfied, and don't have a lot of redeeming utility. It's no coincidence that only large companies have developed them, and I think it's best to bet against them for now.
> That's because having these hot microphones networked in your house is such a creep concept, and feels extremely far from useful.
No. I use "Hey google, turn off everything in the garage." all the time. It's remarkably useful if I'm in bed, and don't want to get up to make sure everything is turned off.
Really the Apple speaker reminds me of the Nexus Q. It doesn't do a lot, and it's pretty damn expensive. And if you want stereo, you need two. Google Home Max is similar, and is one of the reasons I haven't bought one.
Edited to add:
I have the audio chromecast plugged into my stereo, and that works really good. I can change out my speakers if I want, add an amplifier, etc.
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[ 85.1 ms ] story [ 660 ms ] threadNow we have a home mini on every floor, and we are happy with the relatively cheap price we paid.
Apple’s version either needs to come down in price or offer a lot more for its current price - if it wants a larger share of the market, in my opinion.
But, I think they are different markets. The Home Pod, and Siri more specifically, simply cant compete in the "Home Assistant" space on either a technological nor price front.
Honestly, I would be more interested on Margins and Development costs to bring to production - because it does feel like a product that has a very small core target demographic (apple ecosystem audiophiles(?) not concerned with AI capacity outside of tuning for sound).
I'm not big on Apple products these days, but I disagree.
Today's Apple is as much of a "brand" company as it is a technology company. Apple products have recognizable features, e.g. white cords for ear buds, the shiny Apple logo on the new mac books, etc. Apple wants you to remember you're using their brand almost as much as you enjoy their technology.
That said, the home pod almost looks like it came out of Google/Nest. In fact the top view reminds me of the Nest smoke alarm. There's nothing really "Apple" about it.
Well, just like any other "Pods" out there. Seems ordinary people do not see a point buying them. One of my last tasks back when I worked in a sourcing company 2 years ago, was to investigate what are consumer attitudes to different "random speaking house appliances." It was like 9/10 people will just simply think of them like talking alarm clocks or radios. No wonder people are not spending $200 for a talking alarm clock.
Personally, I hate the idea of Siri. I see people use Siri and I just shrug. I see people with Apple watches and I just shrug.
But I see a lot more people with Apple watches, than I do using Siri. I never see anyone using Okay Google or Cortana or Alexa.
My instictive judgement tells me that people who go beyond mere experimentation with voice-activated personal assistant software, and come to rely on it, are ridiculous people. When you use these things, there aren't many cues to guess at the response you'll get, and the sensation is not unlike yelling at a deaf child that doesn't speak your language. Will it hear me? Does it understand me? Can it follow basic instructions? (frequently the answers are yes, maybe, and no)
This is even with the low learning curve of a consumer product design.
Virtual assistants aren't fun, feel undiginfied, and don't have a lot of redeeming utility. It's no coincidence that only large companies have developed them, and I think it's best to bet against them for now.
No. I use "Hey google, turn off everything in the garage." all the time. It's remarkably useful if I'm in bed, and don't want to get up to make sure everything is turned off.
Really the Apple speaker reminds me of the Nexus Q. It doesn't do a lot, and it's pretty damn expensive. And if you want stereo, you need two. Google Home Max is similar, and is one of the reasons I haven't bought one.
Edited to add:
I have the audio chromecast plugged into my stereo, and that works really good. I can change out my speakers if I want, add an amplifier, etc.