
Apple’s HomePod sales copy is so bad I bought a Google Home Max - NicoJuicy
https://thenextweb.com/apple/2018/01/24/apples-homepod-sales-copy-is-so-bad-i-bought-a-google-home-max/
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lambada
It appears the author hasn't heard of 'authority' as meaning

>a person with extensive or specialised knowledge about a subject; an expert.

As in, 'Joe is the authority on the history of computers'

Given that's the first example I'm not sure it's worth continuing to read.

~~~
SyneRyder
Interestingly, your example is included in the dictionary the author used as a
source (the Oxford dictionary, used by Google, and also Apple's Dictionary
application). Notice how that screenshot has definition #1, but not definition
#2 or #3? It appears the author edited that definition out of the screenshot,
because it didn't fit his narrative.

Your instinct was correct, it is a terrible article, not worth the time to
read... and it doesn't even mention the Google Home Max anywhere in the
article. Only in the title, and never again.

Actually, come to think of it, this article was useful. It's reminded me to
add The Next Web to my Block list on my Google News & on my router.

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wand3r
> For the last decade-plus Apple has done everything in its power to convince
> consumers that it wasn’t so much a tech company, as an elegant solution to
> having too much money.

The opening sentence lets you know up front the author is biased and was never
strongly considering a HomePod. I read the article and the copy was poor
compared to Apple but par for the course conpared to the field.

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qubex
Yes, that text really is an exercise in utter nonsense.

This device clearly isn’t aimed at somebody whose “gadget ecology” isn’t
entirely Apple-branded (expressed another way, unless Apple already owns your
ass because of switching costs), and if somebody can countenance opting for a
Google Home Max (or anything else), then one is clearly not in this unhappy
category.

I am left wondering, however, if _anybody_ at Apple thinks this device is
aimed at _somebody_ : the desperation that seems to be transpiring through
this copy to find it a purpose, an intended audience, a use-case, would seem
to indicate otherwise. This is particularly telling as when it was announced I
also thought to myself “oh, who gives a toss?”, followed by “ah, but this is
Apple they must have done tons of market research and identified a target
niche desperate to part with their well-earned cash, so even if I don't care
about it, it's virtually guaranteed that somebody out there does”. Now I’m
starting to wonder otherwise.

I am one of those happy slaves that toil within the walled garden of all
things Apple: Macs, iPhones, iPads, and AppleTV. I have a couple of ancient
iPod HiFi speakers hooked up to AirPort Express units so I can stream music
over AirTunes and have been doing so for close to half a decade. My house is
not ‘automated’ because the existing systems are those that were installed
when it was built and I don't give a toss about home automation; that said,
I've recently replaced the thermostat with a Nest unit (because it was given
to me) and added on a couple of Nest devices beyond that too (security
cameras, smoke alarm). I find myself both wishing Nest would add support for
HomeKit but also entirely satisfied with the day-to-day experience of using
the non-canonical Nest app to manage them, if and when I need to.

Like the author, I consider Siri (and most other vocal assistants that I’ve
never used, but am just prejudiced against) to be garbage: unworkable, and a
flawed user interface paradigm (I'm of the command line and late-nineties-
style GUI persuasion). I don't use it on any of my devices except for getting
the time when I'm in bed in the dark. I cannot imagine anybody would want to
do anything with it.

I take one look at that mesh fabric cylinder and shudder at the thought of
what my cats would do to it if they ever came within a parsec of it.

I just don't understand this thing. I don't want this thing. I'm starting to
suspect I might not only be in the typical majority (even in the sub-
population of Apple ecosystem captives), but that there might not exist a
minority that _does_ want it.

~~~
jVinc
"Like the author, I consider Siri (and most other vocal assistants that I’ve
never used, but am just prejudiced against) to be garbage: unworkable, and a
flawed user interface paradigm (I'm of the command line and late-nineties-
style GUI persuasion). I don't use it on any of my devices except for getting
the time when I'm in bed in the dark. I cannot imagine anybody would want to
do anything with it. "

My god are you wrong. I could try to meticulously refute each of your points,
but honestly you are soo off, I can't even start. Just put a pin in your
current world view and get back to me in 6 years when you as the last of your
social circle begrudgingly get a voice assistant and realize how awesome they
are in all their simple glory.

Their primary usages are simple but effective. My google home allows me just
say in kitchen while I'm cutting vegetables and have both my hands full "Hey
google play music" I don't have to tell it what music, it just goes on spotify
and continues what I've been playing. I can tell it something specific if I
want though, a genre or playlist and it'll find it, and I've never experienced
it get it wrong.

Then when I'm done in the kitchen I can walk in with plates in hand, tell it
to switch to romantic music on the way and "Hey google set the light in the
living room to cozy", or if you're the lonely type, perhaps just tell it "Hey
google play Rick and Morty" and it pops up on the chromecast on the tv.

And this isn't some futuristic expectation of what will come. This is how I'm
using it right now.

Its obvious that Apple wants a piece of the action and it looks like they've
gotten the memo that playing music is an important part of the apeal of these
devices and actually put quality hardware in the box, that might win them a
noticable market share.

~~~
qubex
I realise that mine is only an opinion, and that others may legitimately reach
different conclusions, that’s why I was very particular about using terms such
as “like the author, I _consider_ …” and “am prejudiced against”. I don’t
think it’s fair to you that I am wrong in reporting my opinion, because that’s
the upshot of what you have just written; after all, I’d be ‘wrong’ only if I
had a high opinion of these digital vocal assistants and reported _my opinion
of it_ to be falsely poor.

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EADGBE
> For the last decade-plus Apple has done everything in its power to convince
> consumers that it wasn’t so much a tech company, as an elegant solution to
> having too much money.

I already know how this ends.

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parski
What a useless article and waste of time.

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jacksmith21006
Was tired of waiting for the HomePod and purchased a Google Home Max for
Christmas and love it. Apple still does not have stereo working on the HomePod
or whole house audio for launch.

I swear something is broken at Apple. How after all these years Siri can still
be so bad is unexecusable.

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tinus_hn
It’s not even for sale yet and already he’s not buying it!

For regular teardowns of drivel like this clickbait article check out the
Macalope:

[https://www.macworld.com/column/macalope/](https://www.macworld.com/column/macalope/)

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Froyoh
I quite enjoy reading Apple's product pages, very inspiring.

