Hi,
I recently purchased a pre-owned Amazon Echo show device and wanted to share my thoughts regarding the product.
My main requirement was to listen to music while doing daily chores. It needed to be loud enough when I move around the house.
A mobile connected to a bluetooth speaker would work fine but then the mobile had to be close to the bluetooth speaker.
A speaker with its own streaming capabilities could really add value.
Amazon Echo Dot would have been sufficient for my requirement but when I was getting an used Echo show 8 for the same price, I went for the Echo show.
These are some of the use cases I have found it helpful.
Listening to news updates and light music while on your bed at night, all with just voice commands is super convenient.
The "Drop In" feature doesn't require any action and the video call is initiated instantly from the Alexa app.
I can also play music remotely via the Alexa app.
For example. the "Animal sounds" skill displays the visual image along with the animal sound which has greater impact than just playing the sound.
Hopefully they don't abuse it by watching Youtube videos.
These are some the use cases I have found to be useful in the Echo Show device.
One can also stream content on Amazon Prime and Netflix but who would like to watch movies on such a small screen?
There is this video calling feature which can be initiated between two Echo Show devices or from an Alexa app, but with Whatsapp and other video calling app, I don't think this really adds any value.
There are no in-built batteries and has to be connected to power supply. You can move it around to different rooms but you have to live with its slow boot time. It takes a good 2-3 minutes to boot. Amazon really wants these devices to be purchased for each room. I feel Amazon has purposefully made the the Echo devices non-portable to maximise their sales.
To summarise, I feel the price of this device doesn't justify the features it provides. One can buy the Echo dot and a separate IP based camera for the "Drop In" functionality for much cheaper options.
It was a value add to me because I got a pre-owned one at 35% of the retail price.
Let me know your views or any other use-cases you have discovered.
I recently purchased a pre-owned Amazon Echo show device and wanted to share my thoughts regarding the product.
My main requirement was to listen to music while doing daily chores. It needed to be loud enough when I move around the house.
A mobile connected to a bluetooth speaker would work fine but then the mobile had to be close to the bluetooth speaker.
A speaker with its own streaming capabilities could really add value.
Amazon Echo Dot would have been sufficient for my requirement but when I was getting an used Echo show 8 for the same price, I went for the Echo show.
These are some of the use cases I have found it helpful.
1) Handsfree music
I am a little concerned about the Echo's mic always on, but the handsfree music experience is really great. Initially the mic was muted most of the times. It was unmuted only when I wanted to play music. Nowadays the mic always stays ON and I feel it is very convenient to have the voice assistant to play music, ask for weather/news updates.Listening to news updates and light music while on your bed at night, all with just voice commands is super convenient.
2) Clock
The Echo show always has a clock displayed on its screen and it really helps, especially during night times.3) Drop In and home monitoring
This is a great use case I discovered after I purchased it. I use the "Drop In" feature to check on my granny when we are all outside. My granny is not tech savvy enough to operate a mobile phone or pick a call.The "Drop In" feature doesn't require any action and the video call is initiated instantly from the Alexa app.
I can also play music remotely via the Alexa app.
4) Kids gaming/interactivity
Some of the Alexa skills under the kids category can be educative for pre-school kids at home.For example. the "Animal sounds" skill displays the visual image along with the animal sound which has greater impact than just playing the sound.
Hopefully they don't abuse it by watching Youtube videos.
These are some the use cases I have found to be useful in the Echo Show device.
One can also stream content on Amazon Prime and Netflix but who would like to watch movies on such a small screen?
There is this video calling feature which can be initiated between two Echo Show devices or from an Alexa app, but with Whatsapp and other video calling app, I don't think this really adds any value.
There are no in-built batteries and has to be connected to power supply. You can move it around to different rooms but you have to live with its slow boot time. It takes a good 2-3 minutes to boot. Amazon really wants these devices to be purchased for each room. I feel Amazon has purposefully made the the Echo devices non-portable to maximise their sales.
To summarise, I feel the price of this device doesn't justify the features it provides. One can buy the Echo dot and a separate IP based camera for the "Drop In" functionality for much cheaper options.
It was a value add to me because I got a pre-owned one at 35% of the retail price.
Let me know your views or any other use-cases you have discovered.
