Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#1

Post by dko » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:14 AM UTC

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#2

Post by the_derelict » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:35 AM UTC

I think the echo looks awesome and I can't wait to put one in my kitchen. Your post reads like clickbait, citing no specific reason for your hate of this new device that you've obviously never even used.

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#3

Post by ars » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:40 AM UTC

Despite the title this has nothing to do with the product from Amazon called Echo.

So I call it clickbait.

Maybe call it Amazon's Echo Chamber instead.

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#4

Post by rajivtiru » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:41 AM UTC

So you only used this title to piggy-back off the announcement of the actual Amazon Echo?

And you don't even mention it in the blog post. Nice.

Edit: It appears the title has been changed. Sorry for the asshole tone above, but I don't like clickbait.

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#5

Post by dcurtis » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:44 AM UTC

ars wrote: post #3

Despite the title this has nothing to do with the product from Amazon called Echo. So I call it clickbait. Maybe call it Amazon's Echo Chamber instead.

I titled it that on purpose, to allude to the new product. I hate clickbait.

I changed the title anyway.

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#6

Post by chadnickbok » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:47 AM UTC

ars wrote: post #3

Despite the title this has nothing to do with the product from Amazon called Echo. So I call it clickbait. Maybe call it Amazon's Echo Chamber instead.

I though that the point of the article was that Amazon's hardware strategy isn't working, completely ignoring the echo. The title then invites us to draw our own conclusions about the echo, and enjoy the irony...

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#7

Post by hkarthik » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:53 AM UTC

Scathing and harsh, but probably pretty accurate.

> No one makes money selling media for consumption anymore. That market is quickly and brutally dying. The media market is now so efficient that all profit is completely sucked out of the equation by the time you get to the consumption delivery system, to the point that it is barely possible to break even.

This part resonated with me a lot. The media market was always a race to the bottom. iTunes only proved there was a market, not that it could be profitable once there a multiple entrants with closed ecosystems competing for attention.

I think Amazon is full of smart people, but they need to focus on what they're good at to increase their profits. Their core businesses simply aren't profitable enough for them to try to compete with Apple and Google. They should fix that problem first and then turn to the more ambitious projects.

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#8

Post by schwabacher » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:57 AM UTC

Echo seems really smart to me - the reason Amazon is in hardware is because they are terrified of 'ok google, order me lighbulbs', or 'hey siri, i need a new pair of socks' becoming the way people shop for things online.

Amazon made Echo for 'alexa, order me wheat thins', and all the question answering and music playing is just window dressing.

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#9

Post by greyskull » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 1:58 AM UTC

I kind of understand why Amazon makes mobile hardware. They control the software experience and push Amazon storefronts over Google's. You get people into an ecosystem and they become comfortable in it, so they stick.

They author says "No one makes money selling media for consumption anymore". But surely a properly executed (key word: "properly") foray into mobile devices is better for Amazon than staying out of it? If they can create a good value proposition for the hardware and a good software ecosystem too, that would be better for them then missing out on mobile consumption of all that media they've put so much effort into.

Or am I just completely wrong?

Re: Amazon’s Echo Chamber

#10

Post by swartkrans » Fri, Nov 07, 2014, 2:01 AM UTC

hkarthik wrote: post #7

Scathing and harsh, but probably pretty accurate. > No one makes money selling media for consumption anymore. That market is quickly and brutally dying. The media market is now so efficient that all profit is completely sucked out of the equation by the time you get to the consumption delivery system, to the point that it is barely possible to break even. This part resonated with me a lot. The media market was always…

I like the post and agree with dcurtis about the abysmal phone. However I like my Fire HDX. It works for what I want to use it for: reading books and watching stuff. It isn't the best tablet, but it is not bad. It's the best for buying books and videos from Amazon. Ecosystem is subpar, but that is ok.