Amazon Echo vs. Dot vs. Google Home vs. ???

[countthestars]

Someone welcome me to 2017, please. Is there a good comparison of all of my options somewhere? If you have one, do you like it? What do you use it for? My H keeps talking about it but I don't think he really knows what he wants, and it's easier to ask you guys than search around on the internet. To be honest, I don't even know if everything I listed above is different from one another. Are the Amazon ones all Alexa? HALP

[y4m]

I have an Alexa and a Dot (which is a tiny Alexa extension I put outside my shower).

I use it:
-As a bluetooth speaker from my phone, or to listen to pandora or podcasts
-To turn our christmas lights on and off (with a Kasa Smart plug)
-To add things to a grocery list (integration with Anylist) when I am in the shower or kitchen
-To add things to a to-do list (when I am in the shower or kitchen)
-For measurement conversions while cooking

It can also change the temperature on our Nest thermostat, but that's usually easier from my phone.

By far, the most useful thing is to speak the grocery list and to do list items when my hands are otherwise full.

I'm sure there are other useful things to do with it - the ones above took some effort to configure and get working correctly. But I really rely on the grocery and task list thing.

[y4m]

Yes the Amazon ones are all Alexa.

Oh - it can actually order stuff for you too. But it has to be super specific stuff and I don't really trust it (though it has never gone wrong for me either). IF you buy something a lot on amazon, that can be useful (again, for hands full in the kitchen moments mostly)

[gerberdaisy]

I have a google home in my kitchen and am hoping for a mini upstairs.

I use it:
-to play music through Pandora and podcasts
-add things to my shopping list (through google keep app)
-Recipes, on lots of recipes on my iphone there is a send to google home button. Then it talks me through the recipe, I really like it.
-"tell me about my day" - whats on my calendar, commute to work, news...

Last year I bought DH the echo, he bought me google home, we tried them against eachother and both preferred google home.

We also don't have many smart home devices except for our ecobee thermostat. I just use the app to change the temp anyways.

[noodleoo]

y4m , how much do you think you spent on it included the accessories for the Xmas lights and thermostat?

Also, how do you keep kids from ordering stuff on amazon through it?  I asked about that at the amazon store and the salesperson couldn't answer.

[y4m]

Nov 9, 2017 9:49:05 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

y4m , how much do you think you spent on it included the accessories for the Xmas lights and thermostat?

Also, how do you keep kids from ordering stuff on amazon through it?  I asked about that at the amazon store and the salesperson couldn't answer.

Well the Echo and the Dot are $100 and $50ish.  Compatible smart plugs and lightbulbs are like $30 each to enable individual devices. The nest thermostat is an investment in itself.

Interesting (and terrifying) thought about kids ordering stuff.  My kid is not yet capable of that.

[cmeon]

We have 4 Dots- they do all we need. My kids use theirs as alarm clocks, timers, and to listen to music (they have bluetooth speakers that improve sound quality a lot). They also ask them questions, sometimes with hilarious results, and there are some fun quiz skills they have fun with.

You can set a 4 digit PIN to complete purchases, or can disable voice purchases altogether. There are Alexa specific deals and occasionally we've taken advantage of them without any problems. You can easily cancel orders through the app or Amazon's regular account settings if there's a problem.

ETA: We also have her control various smart outlets- the Christmas tree, an office light that's hard to get to, both kids have a light on them (which is nice when they're up in their loft bed reading and want to go to sleep without coming down).

[krisim]

We had an Alexa dot until DH washed it in the washing machine (still don't know how that could have possibly happened...). Anyways, I'm dying for a sale on them so I can repurchase. I use it mostly to listen to music available through Amazon prime. The kids like to ask it questions, but it doesn't often know the answers. We also use the timer feature (super handy when you don't have a free hand to set one).

I wanted to replace with Google home mini, but then realized that I didn't like the music options on it--while I like Pandora, I have a lot of playlists on Amazon and we often like to ask Alexa to play specific songs.

[cmeon]

Oh, and they also work as intercoms now (from one to another, or from a table/phone). We don't use that feature a bunch, but, it's fun when DH is away and he wants to say hi.

[noodleoo]

Nov 9, 2017 11:06:11 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Oh, and they also work as intercoms now (from one to another, or from a table/phone). We don't use that feature a bunch, but, it's fun when DH is away and he wants to say hi.

OMG that sounds terrifying! Yeah, if H's voice suddenly started coming out a speaker when I was home alone I'd probably jump out of my skin!

I think I'm too old for this.   

[minniemouse]

We have 5 dots. Dh is super into home automation, so they control our lights l, tv, the fans in the kids’ rooms , play music through pandora, alarm clock, check the weather etc. we have the shopping feature turned off. The kids were playing and ordered thousands of dollars of stuff on amazon one day through the dot. Luckily we caught it when dh’s Phone notifications started going crazy - he had like 30 emails from amazon all at once. We were able to cancel the orders before we got charged thankfully.

[countthestars]

Nov 9, 2017 12:22:32 GMT -5 minniemouse said:

We have 5 dots. Dh is super into home automation, so they control our lights l, tv, the fans in the kids’ rooms , play music through pandora, alarm clock, check the weather etc. we have the shopping feature turned off. The kids were playing and ordered thousands of dollars of stuff on amazon one day through the dot. Luckily we caught it when dh’s Phone notifications started going crazy - he had like 30 emails from amazon all at once. We were able to cancel the orders before we got charged thankfully.

OMG! glad you caught it! were they ordering toys or just random crap??

[cmeon]

Nov 9, 2017 11:41:30 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

Nov 9, 2017 11:06:11 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Oh, and they also work as intercoms now (from one to another, or from a table/phone). We don't use that feature a bunch, but, it's fun when DH is away and he wants to say hi.

OMG that sounds terrifying! Yeah, if H's voice suddenly started coming out a speaker when I was home alone I'd probably jump out of my skin!

I think I'm too old for this.   

It comes through like a call- you can choose to answer it.

[minniemouse]

Nov 9, 2017 12:26:24 GMT -5 countthestars said:

Nov 9, 2017 12:22:32 GMT -5 minniemouse said:

We have 5 dots. Dh is super into home automation, so they control our lights l, tv, the fans in the kids’ rooms , play music through pandora, alarm clock, check the weather etc. we have the shopping feature turned off. The kids were playing and ordered thousands of dollars of stuff on amazon one day through the dot. Luckily we caught it when dh’s Phone notifications started going crazy - he had like 30 emails from amazon all at once. We were able to cancel the orders before we got charged thankfully.

OMG! glad you caught it! were they ordering toys or just random crap??

Random crap- like a TV, iPad, stuffed animals, jewelry, a huge cat scratching post, etc.

[y4m]

Nov 9, 2017 12:50:53 GMT -5 minniemouse said:

Nov 9, 2017 12:26:24 GMT -5 countthestars said:

OMG! glad you caught it! were they ordering toys or just random crap??

Random crap- like a TV, iPad, stuffed animals, jewelry, a huge cat scratching post, etc.

This is kind of hilarious

[beachbum22]

I kinda regret buying the Echo. It's basically an expensive weather reporter and kitchen timer. Sometimes we use it for music. I hate trying to add items to the grocery list. You have to open the skill each time you want to add an item, or else Alexa will put everything on one line.

We don't have any smart features in our house, we're renting so we're not going to bother at this point, so Alexa really can't do much for us.

I was hoping to be able to ask her questions and get answers, like a verbal google search. No such luck. She can't even tell me how many oz are in a cup, unless I ask her to open a "skill" first. It's sort of a pain.

We got it on sale from Bed Bath and Beyond. If you do want one, I would keep an eye on their site to see if it goes on sale again.

[cmeon]

Nov 9, 2017 15:42:16 GMT -5 beachbum22 said:

I kinda regret buying the Echo. It's basically an expensive weather reporter and kitchen timer. Sometimes we use it for music. I hate trying to add items to the grocery list. You have to open the skill each time you want to add an item, or else Alexa will put everything on one line.

We don't have any smart features in our house, we're renting so we're not going to bother at this point, so Alexa really can't do much for us.

I was hoping to be able to ask her questions and get answers, like a verbal google search. No such luck. She can't even tell me how many oz are in a cup, unless I ask her to open a "skill" first. It's sort of a pain.

We got it on sale from Bed Bath and Beyond. If you do want one, I would keep an eye on their site to see if it goes on sale again.

I just asked- "One cup equals 8 fluid ounces" right away, no special skill. Some of the answers are still really dumb or silly, but, it's gotten much, much better- give it another shot! It's been interesting to watch it improve over time.

The dots are really great at the $30-35 range- even if you never use it as anything but an alarm clock and a timer. It's so nice to be able to run multiple timers at once, too.

[beachbum22]

cmeon You're right!!! I asked her that question and she just answered me, haha! Last time I asked, she said "I don't know that, but you can download skills, blah blah blah..." We got her months ago, so maybe things have changed. Thanks for the heads up!

[cmeon]

Nov 9, 2017 19:03:26 GMT -5 beachbum22 said:

cmeon You're right!!! I asked her that question and she just answered me, haha! Last time I asked, she said "I don't know that, but you can download skills, blah blah blah..." We got her months ago, so maybe things have changed. Thanks for the heads up!

Oh, I believe you- I felt the need to test her before defending her, LOL. It really is getting better- and there actually are some good skills out now, too- so check those out, too!

[y4m]

The grocery list thing is just “Alexa add pears to my grocery list”. I️ don’t know if you consider that opening a skill. I️ wouldn’t want to dictate a whole list that way, but when I️ use the last egg and my hands are covered in possible salmonella it’s perfect to add that one thing before I️ forget it.

[redpenmama]

I need to use that grocery list feature!

We have an Echo and mostly use it for streaming music. I use the timer, check with weather and news, and the kids play a few games on it. I also order things on Amazon with it.

It was a gift, and I kind of thought we wouldn't use it much, but we use it daily in one form or another. I am getting DD a Dot for Christmas to put in her room because she loves dancing to music.

[sent]

We have an Echo. I use it for the time, weather, to set a timer when cooking, and most importantly, to play DD all kinds of kid's music to keep her entertained. I think we did have to upgrade to an Amazon Music subscription or something to get it to play the good stuff. I know it does so much more, but I'm not tech savvy enough to figure it out and I don't use Amazon as much as other families for my day to day shopping.

I'm thinking of getting one for upstairs to do the same things. I never know the temperature when we wake up and I can't always find my phone to look it up.

[minionkevin]

We have the Echo show. It plays videos, pictures, and you can make video calls like Facetime/Skype.

[longtimenopost]

I have a google home mini on the way that I got free with purchase of a Pixel 2, I'm excited to try it! Thanks for the ideas on how