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Amazon managed to get these things in everyone’s home and people generally liked them. The stage was set for Amazon to knock it out of the park on AI and then they completely blew it. Like epic once in a generation missed the boat.
Now it’s an annoying device that shows ads. Everyone I know is tossing these things in the trash now.
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In all fairness to the MBAs, the "Customer Obsession" commandment could be interpreted multiple ways. Such a metrics-driven company will surely know something about how incentives drive outcomes.
For a metrics driven company they sure did not cite a single metric or have any data when they forced mandatory RTO without having enough office space or desks to support everyone returning while I worked there. Not sure they really care about many metrics these days.
“Our primary investors are also leveraged heavily in the commercial real estate market and they’re losing their shirts and we need their money, so…”
People will study the Amazon devices downfall for decades to come. Amazon managed to get these things in everyone’s home and people generally liked them. The stage was set for Amazon to knock it out of the park on AI and then they completely blew it. Like epic once in a generation missed the boat. Now it’s an annoying device that shows ads. Everyone I know is tossing these things in the trash now.
These days, the general rule is to avoid buying anything 'smart'. They are all filled with advertisements and data-sharing practices and are designed to target you through their user interface and applications. They bombard you with offers for their other products and deals.
Is it even possible to buy a non-smart tv these days? All I really need or want is something I can plug a few gaming consoles into... so HDMI, composite and preferably s-video. No bells or whistles or Internet connection necessary.
I’m afraid to upgrade from my ~6 year old LG OLED with a damaged corner because I pair it with an Apple TV and only see Apple ads occasionally on the Home Screen. I don’t know if a newer tv would give me the same experience.
These days, the general rule is to avoid buying anything 'smart'. They are all filled with advertisements and data-sharing practices and are designed to target you through their user interface and applications. They bombard you with offers for their other products and deals.
It’s nothing inherently bad with “smart” devices. Just the business models behind them.
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No need to connect or use any smart tv feature. How much is your time worth? Apple TV is the best experience (not even close to FireTV) for the cost of it. There are ways to get completely ad free if you have time. I've been using a HTPC for close to 20 years for example.
I think that if you want a modern 70+ inch screen I am not sure that plugging anything into and HDMI input will do it. You need to lobotomize the TV. I could be wrong. I am probably going to explore this to some depth next year.
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For a metrics driven company they sure did not cite a single metric or have any data when they forced mandatory RTO without having enough office space or desks to support everyone returning while I worked there. Not sure they really care about many metrics these days.
The metrics are there and they were driven by them; they just didn’t want to share what those metrics were because they wouldn’t be received well. “Our primary investors are also leveraged heavily in the commercial real estate market and they’re losing their shirts and we need their money, so…”
And then we didn't have enough desks, outlets, and internet was slow. Lmao.
I recently bought a Kindle/Fire device pre-owned, to save money. But seeing full-screen shitty consumer products ads on the 'covers of my books', sitting around my home was so depressing, I paid the extra $10-$15, to retroactively turn it into an ad-free device.[1] Though, even with Special Offers disabled, it still puts oversized icons for marketing promotions, bursting out of the search bar at the top of the home s…
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I've read something like 5 or 6 HN threads about a dumb TV, and without fail _this_ is always one of the replies. Another benefit — advertising displays are also designed to be always-on and last much longer than consumer devices. The other side of the coin? Because of the first two points, they are also rather cost-prohibitive. Nevertheless, anyone know where I can pick up a good one?
I don't know how long they are supposed to last always on, but I have done a few always-on displays with cheap-ass consumer TVs. They have always been fine left on for a couple of years. I mean, some of them got turned off on weekends and stuff, but for the price of a commercial display, you can buy 4 cheap-ass displays, and just replace one if it dies. I've also seen lots of these commercial displays die as well...…