Live data from Hacker News

Google Home Max is now available

blog.google

31–40 of 61 posts

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#31
post #23

So more expensive than Homepod and Sonos speaker, similar if not identical features, from the one company that has shitty customer service? No thanks.

The basic Chromecast audio is $35 and has audio and optical out. That's a much better value than Sonos or the other competition. I already have those in multiple rooms, so this is attractive if I want to buy an integrated unit for an additional room that can also respond to audio commands. It fills a gap in the product line.

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#32
post #23

So more expensive than Homepod and Sonos speaker, similar if not identical features, from the one company that has shitty customer service? No thanks.

I'm a Sonos user and love it, but Sonos doesn't have any assistant capability at all, so saying "similar if not identical features" seems like quite the stretch.

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#33

Does anyone really find these home assistants to be all that useful? Echo, home, etc. All of them really seem to be designed to get you to buy them and then to sell you more stuff, not to actually be useful. It barely works for even simple queries. The music integration doesn't work well with Spotify on the home, and can't even add reminders. The echo has to ask "am or pm" when I tell it to 'wake me up tomorrow at 8'…

I find a lot of use in mine as a voice-control system for home automation; it's great to be able to say, "OK Google, lights out!" as I head upstairs to bed.

The convenience and _naturalness_ of the interaction is just so cool!

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#34

Does anyone really find these home assistants to be all that useful? Echo, home, etc. All of them really seem to be designed to get you to buy them and then to sell you more stuff, not to actually be useful. It barely works for even simple queries. The music integration doesn't work well with Spotify on the home, and can't even add reminders. The echo has to ask "am or pm" when I tell it to 'wake me up tomorrow at 8'…

My roommate finds it helps with loneliness - oftentimes she's home alone because of her work schedule as a flight attendant, and everyone else is busy at work, so she has no one to really talk to. She has found some happiness with talking to Alexa.

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#35
post #8

I don’t trust Google not to record every single thing I say and feed that into their advertising platform. For this reason I will probably wait and get a HomePod... Downvoters: I presume you have evidence that Google won’t use your interactions with Google Assistant to better advertise to you?

I run on the assumption that anything and everything with a mic is probably recording me. If everything is or can listen to me, I may as well just take advantage of that where I can.

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#36
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google has been very open about everything they know about you and has done a great job at allowing you to control it: https://myaccount.google.com/dashboard https://adssettings.google.com/ This is more than what any other company does. You can choose to trust another company. I choose to trust Google. (Disclaimer: I worked at Google several years ago, and my trust in the company has only increased after my time ther…

Wow, that’s awesome that I can turn off all the creepy features! They should put this button on the homepage ;-)

It is, "Privacy", bottom-right corner.

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#37
post #23

So more expensive than Homepod and Sonos speaker, similar if not identical features, from the one company that has shitty customer service? No thanks.

I'm a Sonos user and love it, but Sonos doesn't have any assistant capability at all, so saying "similar if not identical features" seems like quite the stretch.

Sonos just released a new speaker that works with Alexa (and I think others coming?).

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/one.html

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#38
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, do you have proof that Google/Apple/Nokia/etc. isn't already doing that with your phone? If you're going to be super distrustful of closed source stuff by companies with an interest in gathering user data and assume guilt before innocence is proven, that's fine. But you can't do it selectively!

The incentives for Apple to do this are relatively minimal and Google has a track record of hoovering up information on you to target advertising. Almost as if it’s their entire business...

I'd say the incentives for Apple APPEAR minimal, but in reality you don't have any way of knowing what they're doing or plan on doing long term.

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#39

Does anyone really find these home assistants to be all that useful? Echo, home, etc. All of them really seem to be designed to get you to buy them and then to sell you more stuff, not to actually be useful. It barely works for even simple queries. The music integration doesn't work well with Spotify on the home, and can't even add reminders. The echo has to ask "am or pm" when I tell it to 'wake me up tomorrow at 8'…

"The only reason I use it is that it's perfect as a handsfree music player and that has its uses in the shower, etc"

Doesn't this mean that you find it useful?

Re: Google Home Max is now available

#40
post #34

Does anyone really find these home assistants to be all that useful? Echo, home, etc. All of them really seem to be designed to get you to buy them and then to sell you more stuff, not to actually be useful. It barely works for even simple queries. The music integration doesn't work well with Spotify on the home, and can't even add reminders. The echo has to ask "am or pm" when I tell it to 'wake me up tomorrow at 8'…

My roommate finds it helps with loneliness - oftentimes she's home alone because of her work schedule as a flight attendant, and everyone else is busy at work, so she has no one to really talk to. She has found some happiness with talking to Alexa.

I found this out with elderly relatives, too. They know it's a computer, but they like the interaction. When my father said 'Alexa, good night', she replied 'Sleep Well'. Several of his friends then wanted an Echo as well.
Post reply on HN