To not see the point of Alexa?

[crunchymint]

All the TV adverts showing you what Alexa can do, don't show anything more than a laptop can do, with the exception of turning your lights off and on - and I can do that myself. I just don't see the point of spending money to but something that really doesn't do anything extra.

That's what DH said ...until I bought one. I cannot get near the bloody thing as he commands it to play this track or that one.

I use it purely as a wireless speaker ...and get good sound from it.

It was really useful at xmas as a multi cooker clock. But other than the weather I don’t use it much now to be honest.

Looks like it could be a boon for less able people ?

Yes sire is quite fun to play.

I can’t ask a laptop to change music while I am cooking or painting or whatever!

We had the Amazon show but returned it as we just weren't using it. It was good at first but we found it a bit of a gimmick.

It’s creepy and Orwellian. I saw an advert for it a few weeks back where instead of going to check on their baby, this couple asked Alexa to bring up the camera screen from their baby’s room on the TV in the living room so they could see .

1984 wasn’t a guidebook.

The Amazon Echo range of products are much different to a laptop. I don't have a laptop hooked up to the home cinema system, but the Echo is. This I can ask Alexa, from the kitchen, to play one of 64 million songs. Or ask what the weather is like, or a hundred and one other things, like timers, all with my voice.

I could shout at Siri on the MacBook but that involves finding the laptop, waking the laptop up, and generally having to use my hands.

Alexa is entirely hands free. That's the point.

(There's some privacy issues, but I bet most people who are fearful of Amazon happily type in google searches everyday without realising google is harvesting personal information, or go on Facebook ugh. )

the twchnology was designed for vision impaired.
i have one in the kitchen. great as a radio i can switch between channels. connects to spotify so thats great too.

My in laws have it and it's good for them because MIL is disabled. Personally I don't see the point other than a gimmick that the kids will get bored off after a week!

We have a Google home, but only because we got it free when we bought something else. It's largely used as a voice command speaker, although it did try and get involved with trivial pursuits at Christmas. My dad is not techy at all he had a smart phone and got rid of it, I bought him the new/retro Nokia 3310 for father's Day last year, which he loves, but he does like asking the Google home things, especially weather and traffic updates. He says it is better than Teletext which is a big compliment from him.

I find mine useful mainly cos of the reminders (I have MH problems). It’s linked up to my phone and watch too and it has greatly improved my mental health.

And it’s a good speaker 😁

I absolutely love Alexa. Any song you fancy, instantly. Making lists. Getting the weather immediately while you are doing something else, getting your projected commute time while you are getting ready. Playing the radio and being able to turn it up and down with a word. Asking random questions from Google. And my DS, who is autistic, loves talking to her, getting her to make lists etc.

We have the echo dot, mostly it’s used as an oven timer. It does control our Sonos speakers with limited success and occasionally I ask it for the weather when I’m heading the door and want to know if o need an umbrella/jacket and don’t want to rummage in my bag for my phone. It also does the Roomba hoover so you can tell it to start cleaning which is a bit of a gimmick but also pretty cool. At $40 it’s not exactly expensive so I don’t mind that it’s just a bit of fun.

yanbu, seems like a pointless gimmick for most people.

This is quite outing (so NC) however...

My sister (38) is totally blind but has got one of these. She can find out all sorts of information and find the specific music she wants to play.

My DS (10 mths) is also totally blind and thanks to technology like this he will have a completely different experience growing up than my sister. It's exciting... same with driverless cars. This technology really helps some disabled people to be more independent.

So YABU. Might not be any point for you but for many others this kind of technology can be life changing.

"So YABU. Might not be any point for you but for many others this kind of technology can be life changing."

I've found this thread very eye-opening to see how Alexa is helpful to people with visual problems or MH difficulties, so although OP may be BU, I'm glad she started the thread.

The kids ask ours to tell them jokes.
I must figure out how to use it. I'd love to be able to shout "Alexa put milk on the shopping list" etc

We've got one for every room of the house and it works all our lights, the hive heating, the kettle, tv, security cameras, the door bell camera & some other stuff.
I find it annoying having to speak to it and not just get up to turn things on. My dc & dh love it but they are all techy and use it to it's full potential so no wonder they get something out of it. My dh is getting Alexa compatible front door locks for it this weekend so that'll be fun

I have a Google Home and it is utterly brilliant. I mainly use it for timers for cooking, music and a bit of smart home stuff: lights and the kettle so I can turn it on without getting out of bed in the morning - now tell me that isn't useful!

Oh yes, and the shopping list thing is brilliant too. DH and DD and I all have the same list as default so if someone runs out of deodorant or something, it goes on the list and whoever is shopping knows to get it.

How does it turn the kettle
And the hearing etc on? How do you link your electrical items?

I’m completely anti gadget generally, but I do quite like Alexa. We got ours as a freebie with insurance and I enjoy being able to ask it to play music while I’m cooking, cleaning etc. When we’re playing board games or cards as a family we take it turns to ask Alexa to play something! However, my DH uses it to read audiobooks in a weird monotone voice which drives me nuts. Obviously the kids just ask it bizarre questions to see what it’ll say.

I think it's fun and DD likes making her play random nursery rhymes. We have it hooked up to the electric blinds we have in every room so in the morning we can say "Alexa, wake up the house" and she'll open all the blinds. It's a gimmick but I like it.

Me - "Alexa, play radio 4."

DH - "Alexa, play radio 1 extra."

😂

She's very handy at setting timers and answering questions if we are debating something.