.

I have new technology envy, and over the holiday I got to see an Echo at work. I don’t think I will ask for the area of France, or the population of Boise, but, of course, my grandkids might. rolleyes  So, as primiarly a source of music to fill an empty house, is the Apple a good choice? I have all things Apple now. Where to get the best price — seen $250 and $350. TIA


If just for music, it depends on where you get the music from.  Echo devices can be purchased as part of a better speaker such as Sonos (big discount today) or with a a lot of blue tooth devices.  

I have apple products but did not see any reason to get apples home version and since I have amazon prime there is a  ton of free music available.  



just could not get around the thought that spending that much on a toy that is still a work in progress was dumb. So, I ordered a 3rd generation Echo dot at a cyber Monday price of $20! I’ll probably be back here to get help. Not arriving until 12/7 so Amazon must have sold lots of Echoes!


I’ve got enough **** in my house listening to me already.


Funny! With my pursuit of new gadgets....


Just an FYI that the Echo Dot has a pretty anemic speaker. We've ended up with a whole slew of these devices in our house and I'd probably recommend the Echo Show or the Echo Plus if your intent is to listen to music on the device. 


Echo dot works with bluetooth and you can pick up a decent speaker for $50 use that when you listen to music.  



I  think the smart speaker space will change much over near future. Got a very nice TV soundbar system (with remote speakers/bass) and connected that to Alexa with a Dot. Super easy, great sound (to me), and in a couple years as tech improves, I can replace the Dot or get an integrated system.



Thanks, Tom!  Just looking at pic makes me smile, though i've seen the video a number of times.

Amanda! What those kids doing?

And the "mm-hmm" feature, for long stories, would be so useful in real life (including, for people listening to me...).


not a bad idea — for old folks that is... big surprise 


ridski said:
I’ve got enough **** in my house listening to me already.

Don't be paranoid.

We have to remember that all these nice useful gadgets that listen and record what is said are sold and managed by big corporations, not government. Surely corporations will always respect our privacy and never ever sell our privacy or turn it over to government.


My brother in law bought his mother (my mother in law) an Amazon Echo. MIL uses it a bit and enjoys it. She is very tech-unsavvy. She has a cell phone, and I think she only uses it for voice calls and checking the weather, and she refuses to do text, email, or social media. She sometimes asks Alexa to play a certain kind of music or a musician. When we visit, we have asked "her" for some lookupable facts, but I don't know if MIL does that when we are not there.

So I would say you could enjoy it and get good use out of it. Basically, it is the iphone of smart speakers, even though it's not from Apple. It's the most well regarded one, and it's easy to use.


Thanks, Tom. Alexa is arriving in a week!


My guess is that most folks have a box somewhere in a closet containing miscellaneous doohickeys and cable connections from our electronic devices long since upgraded. I came across my box of stuff, too good to toss and of unknown use, yesterday.

Out popped my iPod in its tiny plastic box, with its 2007 receipt for $200 tucked inside. Thank heavens, the instruction for operation was also there. 

Today, I have been listening to my favorites — Willie Nelson, Tennessee Earnie Ford, Frankie, of course! Many other artists too, such as, Springsteen, Django, etc etc. The device has amazing sound quality and provides intimacy — just you and the sound — that I never found with the iPhone. The iPhone is my camera and telephone.

Anything that sounds so great after years stuffed away, deserves my respect!


I truly realize I am a PITLSR, but here I am again. My $20 Black Friday echo dot arrived today. I have it setup basically, but certainly am at the kindergarten level as far as the device’s potential. I may be content,  since I primarily wanted easy access to music.

If I want the sound to reach other rooms, what sort of speaker might I consider? What can someone recommend?


Either more Amazon stuff (they do have speakers), or more Dots -- with external speakers you plug in might be easiest and keep the eco system the same.



If you have multiple Echos you can put them in a group and direct Alexa to play the music to the group.


qrysdonnell said:
If you have multiple Echos you can put them in a group and direct Alexa to play the music to the group.

 With 5 or more you can direct Alexa to make them sing close harmonies like The Beach Boys.


ridski said:


qrysdonnell said:
If you have multiple Echos you can put them in a group and direct Alexa to play the music to the group.
 With 5 or more you can direct Alexa to make them sing close harmonies like The Beach Boys.

I was gonna ask if the 3rd gen models are more powerful or something, but I guess you answered that.


ridski said:


qrysdonnell said:
If you have multiple Echos you can put them in a group and direct Alexa to play the music to the group.
 With 5 or more you can direct Alexa to make them sing close harmonies like The Beach Boys.

 Is this,like satire?


mtierney said:


ridski said:

qrysdonnell said:
If you have multiple Echos you can put them in a group and direct Alexa to play the music to the group.
 With 5 or more you can direct Alexa to make them sing close harmonies like The Beach Boys.
 Is this,like satire?

 

ridski said:
I’ve got enough **** in my house listening to me already.

 


ooh -- I want the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!

ridski said:


 With 5 or more you can direct Alexa to make them sing close harmonies like The Beach Boys.

 


peteglider said:
ooh -- I want the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!


ridski said:

 With 5 or more you can direct Alexa to make them sing close harmonies like The Beach Boys.
 

 With 99 ez-pay installments and every flat surface covered and smothered with smart speakers, you too can have it all, peteglider.


ridski said:


mtierney said:


ridski said:

qrysdonnell said:
If you have multiple Echos you can put them in a group and direct Alexa to play the music to the group.
 With 5 or more you can direct Alexa to make them sing close harmonies like The Beach Boys.
 Is this,like satire?
 
ridski said:
I’ve got enough **** in my house listening to me already.
 

 Thank god. And I don't mean I'm relieved to know. I mean, thank god for satire.


my echo dot and I are bff! Sound is great — and it is so easy to relocate the device to other locations, I think one suits me fine. 

Serious question: What is the best, as well as eco-friendly means of dealing with a collection of literally hundreds of cassettes and cds? Not immediately — meaningful collection  — but down the road.


very happy with my purchase! One dot does the job for my purposes. Dancing with Frankie, Willie, and swing bands is good therapy!


If you still have a CD player, you can play your CDs and not send them to landfill.

I am importing my CDs to a home-built server. It runs Plex software which allows me to listen on my phone anywhere I have internet access, using the Plex app on my phone. IThe Amazon Echo can be taught to work with Plex.


Tom_Reingold said:
If you still have a CD player, you can play your CDs and not send them to landfill.
I am importing my CDs to a home-built server. It runs Plex software which allows me to listen on my phone anywhere I have internet access, using the Plex app on my phone. IThe Amazon Echo can be taught to work with Plex.

 You know, I've tried to tackle that problem a couple of times over the last few years and got next to nowhere. I'll have to look into Plex.


Tom_Reingold said:
If you still have a CD player, you can play your CDs and not send them to landfill.
I am importing my CDs to a home-built server. It runs Plex software which allows me to listen on my phone anywhere I have internet access, using the Plex app on my phone. IThe Amazon Echo can be taught to work with Plex.

 I am in over my head now! After you have put the songs on Plex, don’t the physical cassettes wind up in a landfill eventually?


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