Reviews on Alexa?

[Lina86]

So my kids and dh are bugging me to get an Alexa for the house, I've looked on amazon for the reviews (obviously all positive as it's an amazon product) and I've tried to read all the actions it offers but still not getting what it really does, I like the sound of the intercom system in the house (happy to purchase two if they are good for this) we're not a particularly busy holdhouse or a high tech one, are they worth it and what else can I do with it? TIA ladies. X

Best thing we ever bought our son. It's only the dot but streams music, is a clock, sets reminders, answers questions etc. I want one for me.

Alexa is as thick as pig shit. It's more useful just asking Google questions on your phone. You gave to pay extra for music streaming. She is there to market Amazon products. Perhaps useful if you want her to control lights and heating. We switched her off after novelty wore off as we got sick of her piping up with random nonsense in the middle of our conversations.

I've had Alexa for about a month and don't use it much.
Its quite annoying and the sound quality not good enough for playing music in my opinion (although better than the first gen echos were)

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone other than for a novelty.

I love mine. Only £29.99 in curry's. Plays my music, makes wave sounds to send me to sleep, keeps my to do list, remind me what's on my calendar and tells me if my wok journey has problems.

Love our alexa echo the bigger one have it in the kitchen listen to music on it speaker awesome

We all love Alexa. Mainly used for listening to music and the games. We’ve learnt a lot from Quick Fire Quiz

The tin foil hatters will be along soon telling you that Amazon have staff sat listening to your conversations through the echo dot and are selling your personal thoughts about the state of next doors garden/what you’re having for tea/your sisters weight gain to the Russians or something.

Wouldn't be without it now. It controls the lights, sets multiple timers that are useful when I'm in the kitchen, sets reminders and alarm calls, gives me news updates on demand, tells bedtime stories for children, acts as an intercom system, tells jokes and riddles, plays music. I don't even have to remember the exact name of any song I want to hear, either. I just say, "Play the song that goes (and give a lyric or two)" and it identifies it immediately.

We love ours. I think people don't like them because somehow they think it's going to be sci fi level of cool. But for day to day things when you're busy, it's great. We mostly use ours for music, radio and news (the Echo has a surprisingly good speaker and works well in the kitchen. We have dots in the bedrooms). We also use the timer and shopping lists functions and the intercom. The kids like to ask Alexa random questions, which are actually often quite educational.

I don't use the alarms or reminders much but when I do, they're great. I also listen to the odd ebook while I'm cooking dinner or whatever, which I like.

Mostly, what's great is the convenience. No more scratching around for a pen to write down when I realise we've run out of coffee. And if I'm at the shop spontaneously I can check the list on the phone. No faffing about trying to get my spotify/phone to link to a speaker and then it stops working/runs out of battery/experiences interference etc. It's just very accessible and convenient for when you're not at your computer or actively using your phone.

I've just got a dot and have another Alexa on pre order!

You don't have to listen to amazon music. I'm trialling various different streaming apps, I can have any of them as default setting.

Although you can’t use Apple Music (yet?) which is annoying.

I have 3.

The one in the kitchen gets used the most, dd1 is using it for timers now. I use it for music and the radio. Dd2 likes to ask it random things like Alexa can you wisper? (yes she can).

dd1 uses hers for music.

I use them as an intercom.

I like mine a lot, when it behaves itself. Sometimes Alexa ignores me completely or thinks I've said something that sounds nothing like what I've asked it to play. Despite that it is a handy little thing. And I'm confident that if anyone IS listening in through my Alexa, they'll have died of boredom by now.

She's useful for asking the weather, she plays music (Spotify premium account required) and works as a great kitchen timer but it's a gimmick really. Upstairs it's an alarm clock

I switched mine off after about 3 weeks of the kids constantly shouting over each other at it - that was over a year ago.

She occasionally gets switched on when they are all out, but mostly I used Apple Music anyway.

@MyNameIsCharlesII you can use Apple Music. It is my default.

They enabled Apple Music outside the US a little while ago. You may have to enable the skill through your computer rather than through the Alexa app mind you. It doesn't seem to link properly.

I managed to link my dot to Apple Music through the app no problem.

Ooh ok thanks I’ll try it later.