Lillian,
It is likely that the HomePod will depend on an Apple Music subscription
to be able to play music which you have not purchased from iTunes.
However, since you're already subscribed to Apple Music then it's likely
that you'll be able to access the same subscription on a HomePod once
you sign in using your Apple ID and password. Once you do that, you
should be able to access all of the content from Apple Music on a
HomePod. In spite of that, I still can't justify spending the money for
that device. For me, sound is not critical. I'm used to listening to
music and TV shows from my iPhone or from a Fire tablet and I just don't
need a speaker.
David Goldfield, Assistive Technology Specialist WWW.David-Goldfield.Com
On 1/21/2018 7:54 PM, Lillian Way wrote:
Hi, David;
I agree with you. That's a steep price to pay to justify spending, especially
considering the fact that the best thing they've got going for themselves is
tons more music to listen to. If I decide I want the full music Ap from Apple,
it might be cheaper in the long run to pay the ten dollar per month fee to get
it. I can get that on either my I-phone or I-pod Touch. On the other hand, Will
spending the $300 for their Home pod save money in the long run? If it already
has all its music built in, that might be the cheaper way to go. Considering
how that company isn't hesitant to extort more hard-earned cash from its users,
I doubt they'll give us all free access to such an ap of high demand. Take care.
Lillian
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-philly-comp-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Goldfield
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2018 7:29 PM
To: blind-philly-comp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-philly-comp] Re: Get your wallet ready because Apple's HomePod
is almost here
While I posted the article for informational purposes, I have to agree with
everyone else who has commented on this. My Amazon Echo units are more than
capable in providing the sound and entertainment that I need. Not only can't I
justify spending over $300 on a HomePod but I find that Siri is the most
problematic of all of the voice assistants and is behind all of the others in
what it can do and in its overall responsiveness. Apple would have to offer
major improvements to Siri, a lower price tag and unique functionality that I
don't already have in order to even tempt me to consider moving to a Home Pod.
Of course, they're not even trying to offer a lower priced version as we see
with Amazon and Google. This is just, sadly, one more instance of how Apple is,
in my opinion, losing its way and is failing to innovate.
David Goldfield, Assistive Technology Specialist WWW.David-Goldfield.Com
<http://WWW.David-Goldfield.Com> On 1/21/2018 7:23 PM, Kimberly Starrett wrote:
I got my Echo Dots for 29 dollars last Xmas, so I really can't see how
any speaker that sells for 350 dollars can beat that.
Sent from Kimber's iPhone
The happy ending still beckons, and it is in the hope of grasping it
that we go on.—Annie Proulx
On Jan 21, 2018, at 5:23 PM, David Goldfield <david.goldfield@xxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:david.goldfield@xxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
Amazon echo - Google News - Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 3:37
PM
Get your wallet ready because Apple's HomePod is almost here
Apple's HomePod missed its 2017 launch.
Image: mashable
By Raymond Wong
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Fauthor%2Fraymond-wong%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=dy6t8aB6imyvwp5S1IDxJ1BFv0gtPebltOsuTwvdNs8%3D&reserved=0>
2018-01-20 20:32:16 UTC
Apple's answer to the Amazon Echo
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2015%2F02%2F10%2Famazon-echo-review%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=%2FV2xf2n1HvD9CcDTQHCysbVhSwBSR%2FULnA0asPzeBaM%3D&reserved=0>
and Google Home
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2016%2F11%2F03%2Fgoogle-home-review%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=%2Bo678yP6ekMBFbl0Fy9ogjhzl9DT4oUMzg%2FE%2B06peRs%3D&reserved=0>
smart speakers, the HomePod
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2017%2F06%2F05%2Fapple-homepod-hands-on-sound%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=0w6jj3dT66neV5svg4lMo7%2BPhYYe5YwMdd7QuRzn6iU%3D&reserv
ed=0> , is almost ready for launch.
After missing its release last year, the $350 smart speaker has now been approved
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffccid.io%2Fdocument.php%3Fid%3D3719077&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=xLa6huRLP6AS0UxSZDyfFw1WQXJaEq50mPYoGRgRnOw%3D&reserved=0>
for sale by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which means Apple will probably start
selling it very soon.
Following its delayed launch, Apple said it "needed a little more
time" to get HomePod ready for customers.
Apple said HomePod would start shipping the U.S., UK, and Australia
"in early 2018". Well, it's early 2018, and everyone's still waiting for the
Siri-powered speaker to show up.
While the FCC approval doesn't reveal anything new about HomePod, we know we're
in the home stretch before release. Inventec, one of the two suppliers assembling the smart
speaker, says it's already made 1 million of them, according
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2018%2F01%2F16%2F2003685829&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=0Sfi36jFyU2upr6Hbc%2Bet1w8UoHOjytgbjFU05ZNIBg%3D&reserved=0>
to the Taipei Times.
Inventec and Foxconn, the other HomePod manufacturer, are
expecting to ship 10-12 million speakers in total by the end of the year.
[embedded content]
When HomePod finally does launch, it'll face stiff competition from Amazon and Google.
Apple's entering a new space that Amazon's been leading for years. Amazon says it sold
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fphx.corporate-ir.net%2Fphoenix.zhtml%3Fc%3D176060%26p%3DRssLanding%26cat%3Dnews%26id%3D2318860&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=nfJHbi5amW3emHh5%2B1KGAAeYyT5gmyRIY86%2B%2FcFEEL4%3D&reserved=0>
"tens of millions" of Alexa-powered devices this past holiday season.
Google's also moved a good amount of Assistant-powered Home speakers. The company says it
sold
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blog.google%2Fproducts%2Fassistant%2Fhow-google-home-and-google-assistant-helped-you-get-more-done-in-2017%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=PWatirLwdn2X2YJDVBzFNh2p1AkWtNd7Qzw86vrPM0w%3D&reserved=0>
"more than one Google Home device every second since Google Home Mini started shipping in
October," which works out to more than 6 million devices. And that's not even counting all of the Home
speakers sold since the original launched in 2016.
At first glance, it may seem like Apple has no chance of catching up — it's
already well behind Amazon and Google, but this is still anyone's game. As we saw at CES 2018
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2018%2F01%2F08%2Fgoogle-amazon-artificial-intelligence-ces-2018%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=7y289ifF5jgzCiOi5jw2hgE1JbMcVX3t1Oz67zOIEnY%3D&reserved=0>
, third-party device makers are just starting to incorporate Alexa and Google Assistant into
their devices, so we've still got a ways to go before anyone's declared a winner.
And while there weren't as many new products with HomeKit compatibility as there
were with Alexa and Assistant at CES, vendors are warming up to Apple's smart home platform.
Belkin's even made a cool bridge adapter
<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.belkin.com%2Fus%2Fp%2FP-F7C074%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C9f9c963518544776eb3308d5612e5699%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636521773998145478&sdata=nwWFs9HE%2FowoPyQrDzfP%2F1NrKYUmgeqCqJkfoWtordk%3D&reserved=0>
that automatically makes all WeMo smart home devices compatible with HomeKit.
Ultimately, HomePod's success will depend on a number of
factors:
* Price: At $350, HomePod costs way more than a $50 Echo
Dot or Google Home Mini, and still more than a $100 Echo, or $150 Echo Plus, or
$130 Google Home.
* Siri: Apple's digital assistant is nowhere near as
robust as Alexa or the Assistant. How well Siri handles questions, controls,
and more will be important.
* Sound quality: HomePod looks to have the best sound
quality out of all the speakers (although we'll have to see how it compares to
the very loud and very good-sounding Google Home Max), but again, will people
be willing to pay for it? An Echo or Home provides good-enough sound.
If you've been waiting for HomePod, just know this: It's almost
here. Be patient. We're so close.
http://mashable.com/2018/01/20/apple-homepod-coming-soon-fcc-approval/ ;
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David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
WWW.DavidGoldfield.info
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