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+--- Thread: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thread! (/showthread.php?tid=9507)
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Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - JPolen01 - 12-26-2016
How is it anymore creepy than the Echo? Isn't it just an extension to place in another room?
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - JustinG - 12-26-2016
Same capability as Echo, minus a big speaker.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - JPolen01 - 12-26-2016
Ahhh ok. I thought it only worked as an extension of Echo and not standalone.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Sully - 12-27-2016
So fiance got me a Google home for Christmas. I honestly had no interest in either product but would have probably gone Amazon since I order from Amazon constantly, have a prime account (might be better for music, dunno), and use a fire TV and a firestick currently. I havent even opened it yet cause I'm contemplating telling her to take it back because I'm not sure I'll be able to find a use for it and as you all know, they cost quite a bit of money.
What's your opinions on them? Those who have one. I think I saw Justin has both and was saying Google was better but that's based on the trivial asking it questions which I could care less about. Will I be able to control lights and stuff (provided I upgrade to smart outlets or switches) will there be any way to control my firestick or will it just be Chromecast. Do you think it'll have just as much support from third party as Alexa. Will it favor the pixel (which it already is with Google assistant) or will it expand its phone support. I'm not sure I follow how Chromecast supported apps work is one problem I guess. It's what scared me away from the Vizio TV.
Im not sure the speakers are worth it to justify the cost. I feel like the dot is really the way to go and connect it to a stand alone audio system. But I really don't want to hurt her feelings if I think I'll find some use from it. But damn is that an expensive way to find out where Santa is or to hear a lame knock knock joke
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Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - SlimKlim - 12-27-2016
I'm like you and have no real interest in either of them, to me it sounds like your fiance wanted a Google home. You gotta gauge out how attached she is to it before deciding to return it. My GF's (oh wait, she's my fiance now too :lol
family exchanges gifts from each other all the time, but in other families it's a bigger deal. Lauren keeps nagging me about getting an Alexa and keeps me updated on how and when her family uses theirs, so it's probably a losing battle.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Sully - 12-27-2016
Oh she has no interest in technology. She'd never use it or has no interest or knowledge of either. She got the Google home because the guy at target told her it's better and more compatible with Samsung phones while Alexa is better for iPhone (which makes no sense) and the fact that they were sold out of Alexa when she tried to buy it...
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Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - SlimKlim - 12-27-2016
So swap it out, sounds like it wouldnt hurt her feelings (much).
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - WRXtranceformed - 12-27-2016
Sully Wrote:So fiance got me a Google home for Christmas. I honestly had no interest in either product but would have probably gone Amazon since I order from Amazon constantly, have a prime account (might be better for music, dunno), and use a fire TV and a firestick currently. I havent even opened it yet cause I'm contemplating telling her to take it back because I'm not sure I'll be able to find a use for it and as you all know, they cost quite a bit of money.
What's your opinions on them? Those who have one. I think I saw Justin has both and was saying Google was better but that's based on the trivial asking it questions which I could care less about. Will I be able to control lights and stuff (provided I upgrade to smart outlets or switches) will there be any way to control my firestick or will it just be Chromecast. Do you think it'll have just as much support from third party as Alexa. Will it favor the pixel (which it already is with Google assistant) or will it expand its phone support. I'm not sure I follow how Chromecast supported apps work is one problem I guess. It's what scared me away from the Vizio TV.
Im not sure the speakers are worth it to justify the cost. I feel like the dot is really the way to go and connect it to a stand alone audio system. But I really don't want to hurt her feelings if I think I'll find some use from it. But damn is that an expensive way to find out where Santa is or to hear a lame knock knock joke
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
You can use the Echo to control things like your XBOX, Roku, etc. if you get the Logitech Harmony too. All of the smart home stuff is possible too, lights, thermostat etc.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - BLINGMW - 12-27-2016
Got a google home for my parents to play with, but that's only because I'm trying to get them going in the ChromOS and chromecast direction. And it does work great with those, and can stream amazon stuff too. Peronally I wouldn't want either of them but if you're already in the Amazon thingaverse seems like their assistant would make more sense.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Sully - 12-27-2016
I don't have Roku or a Xbox one. Just a 360 that I don't use. My only Amazon devices are the fire TV and stick and I don't think I've read that you can actually Control them from Alexa. I imagine they'll become obsolete anyways when I finally upgrade to a smart TV
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Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - JPolen01 - 12-27-2016
Sully Wrote:I imagine they'll become obsolete anyways when I finally upgrade to a smart TVPretty much. We have had an old RCA LCD in the bedroom just sitting on the dresser for 2 years because we didn't want to pay Verizon for another box. Just grabbed a fire stick recently with the plans to unlock it for free movies and NFL Redzone. It's in the bedroom right now and perfect since the TV is non-smart. Way better than the chromecast.
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Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - .RJ - 12-27-2016
Sully Wrote:I imagine they'll become obsolete anyways when I finally upgrade to a smart TV
TV app interfaces are TURRIBLE.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Apoc - 12-27-2016
They're both useless, unless you have young kids in the house. I could see some home automation applications, but I use my security system for that. Okay, the one exception is you can play sexy time music without having to stop what you're doing.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Sully - 12-27-2016
Apoc Wrote:sexy time music.
Surprised this doesn't have its own thread
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Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - JustinG - 12-27-2016
So I have both.
Got an Echo from a work Christmas party just after it came out.
Pre-Ordered the Home.
We use our Home/Echo as Kitchen Timers, Home Automation controller, and Music device.
Echo has about a 2yr head start on the home. With that, the Echo is better in regards to what it interfaces with (Home Automation, Cameras, Alarm.com, Thermostats, etc.)
Like most apple products, if you are in the Google/Android eco system, the Home is more attractive in my opinion.
I use Google Keep, and when I add things to the HOME shopping list, it is there. The Echo can do the same thing through the Alexa app but I prefer Keep.
I subscribe to Google Play music, so the Home has all of my play lists and saved stations, and the full music library of Google Play at the ready with a voice command. Another cool feature is it searches Youtube, so if the song isn't in the Play library, it will search for a Youtube video and play the audio from the video if the song is found. Where Amazon Prime's music selection isn't that great IMO.
A huge plus for me is the fact that you can use the Cast feature with the Home, so it is basically a cheaper SONOS with more functionality. You can link multiple Homes/Chromecast Audio/Chromecast Videos together and play the same or different music throughout the house. Hook a Chromecast Audio up to a "dumb" speaker or AV system, and you are gravy.
Averie loves playing the games that are on both, and asking it to play T-Swift and Disney ballads, yay little girls, and asking both questions.
They are both awesome pieces of tech, and we use them every day, but we are trying to decide which is going to stay in the Kitchen. We have an open floor plan downstairs, so only one is needed in the space.
I am leaning towards keeping the home just cause, Google Fanboi, and I feel like they will do some cool things for those invested in the eco system.
With all of this said, they are both novelties, but convenient when you are trying to convert 3 tablespoons to XX cups, or get 3 timers going for everything you have going on in the kitchen. As far as choosing, Home if you are invested in Android, an Alexa capable device if not.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Apoc - 12-27-2016
Like I said, useless!
In all honesty, though, none of those use cases apply to us. I've had an Echo for awhile and we can't really find a use for it, other than a Pandora speaker. All that really saves is having to connect to a speak via bluetooth.
The product we use most often is the Tap (battery powered, push to talk). We use it as a portable white machine that can follow the kid around and as a bluetooth speaker while camping. It would be kinda useless as a replacement for either because it's push to talk, but it's the only Echo in our house that gets usage.
edit: I think we're gonna give Google Keep a try, though.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Sully - 12-27-2016
So I'm assuming you'll never be able to control Amazon products like the firestick with the home? But can you even control them with Alexa yet?
Does cast really work? I always have trouble even screen mirroring my tablet to my firestick but may be my wifi speed to blame. If I went Vizio TV, would Google home work with it because it's Chromecast built in, whatever that is. I still think I'm not fully understanding what casting really is or what's compatible with it. Or how it works.
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Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - WRXtranceformed - 12-27-2016
Connecting Alexa to my FrontPoint system seems like a terrible idea
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - Apoc - 12-27-2016
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Connecting Alexa to my FrontPoint system seems like a terrible idea
You can only ask status, arm, and control lights. It won't open/unlock/disarm for security. It would be cool if we had a Dot in every room and all our lights were on Frontpoint, but they're not, so I can't see using it.
Re: The official tablet (and other useless electronics) thre - JustinG - 12-27-2016
Sully Wrote:Does cast really work?
Casting is different from Screen Mirroring.
Mirroring = broadcasting your phone/tablets screen onto a bigger screen via wifi direct type communication, and your phone/tablet does all of the streaming.
Casting via Chromecast = Taking your phone/tablet telling it to cast to an enabled device (TV, Chromecast Video or Audio, Home, etc) and then the device you tell it to cast to, goes to the source and takes over the streaming directly, removing your Phone/Tablet all together.