Echo Show 8 1st and 2nd generations are on sale presumably ahead of the new 15" version.
Echo Show 8 1st gen sale expires in 11 days. No expiry date for 2nd gen sale.
Yeah pretty disappointed with mine, that’s exactly what I was hoping to use it for.
There is a “tap to alexa” mode in accessibility that is a semi-work-around. But it doesn’t cut the mustard.
Could you please expand on that? What did you hope that didn't meet your expectations? (Genuine question, I bought one for brother and yet to buy one to drop in each other. I've got a Google nest tho)
Ah we have a bunch of echos and love them.
The “show” specifically I had hoped to have functionality to have a control board of buttons and widgets to open and close things, turn on and off, show temp etc.
Not even close.
2nd gen was $99 everywhere for a month in December. Was even $139 with Amazon voucher before that. Would be silly to buy for $149 now, especially considering they are back ordered.
If you really need it, get it from JB hifi, at least they've got stock and Aussie seller.
Agree that 2nd Gen was $99 in December and November.
I got one then.
$149 seems expensive.
is 2nd generation better? I am thinking to leave this and wait for the 2nd gen deal
yes, camera is much better, it has the automatic digital panning.
Looking for cheap dot. Missed the deal last time.
Same.
Just hold out, they were $19 a few times last year. (Or a little over $17 from a couple of stores.)
Really hope that there is upsized cash back
Echo show 2nd gen @ $149 is a rip, considering it was $99 recently.
What would you use this for? I’ve got a dot and it either plays my music or collects dust
You can use it to (in no particular order)
- play music
- play Netflix/Prime video (albeit 8")
- showcase pictures from amazon photos or FB
- alarm clock
- control smart devices (lights, etc)
- integrate with smart door bell
- drop in (between echo devices or Alexa app)
I've got a dot that I use to play music near my puppy's crate while she sleeps. She's a very light sleeper so it helps her through the night.
Then a echo show in the kitchen for:
Timers while cooking
Video calling family who also have one (called my niece for her 5th birthday yesterday and she chatted to us for half an hour over video)
Turning on my electric blankets in winter, which are connected to a smart plug
Opening/closing blinds on the house
Turning off the TV if we leave it on in the other room
Turning on/off smart lights around the house
Great for video calling young nieces and nephews. Don't have to trust them with an expensive phone :-)
Is it easy to setup call between echo show 5 to another echo show 8?
@bin555: I think so, it's just a matter of enabling the drop in for each contact. Unfortunately have to wait for the show8 to drop back in price to test.
No thanks I don’t want extra ears on my privacy
I’ve never understood that level of paranoia. Like, what logical consequence do you foresee if some rando gets exposed to historical sound bytes of you shouting at the kids, farting and asking your wife if you should pay for Netflix or keep dl Gilmore girls torrents? Or do more people work in international espionage than I thought?
I secretly hope there’s some poor long-suffering Amazon basement dweller whose job it is to trawl through my family’s everyday chaos searching for opportunities to suggestive sell. But I know it doesn’t work like that.
If you’re that paranoid, do what I do: regularly Interject a random “Twisties, Toilet Duck, Tampax!” Into conversation, and keep an eye on your Amazon recommendations.
Google - wants to deeply understand my inner psyche and use the data in as yet unknown and evil ways.
Apple - respects privacy and just wants to empty my wallet. Siri is useless though.
Amazon - just wants to know when I’m going to run out of detergent.
And of the 3, Amazon Alexa is the only one that makes random suggestions to buy things.
Love people taking the bite
I know, my sisters are the same. Can’t have Siri on, or cortana as they might spy on me. Um yeah sure, Apple are spying on 900 million phones, whilst android are spying on 3 billion phones and your worried someone might hear you say “I hate One Nation” some people are just classics to watch.
lovet he hub - anybody have both know how these compare?
ahead of the new 15" version
Wow amazon, are you trying to compete with me
not mm
Bought this when it first released to read recipe Ebooks etc but the damn screen turns off so quickly that it’s useless for that purpose.
It would be great if they catered this device better for hands free recipe following in the kitchen. I don’t want to have to touch the screen while my hands are covered in onion in order to wake it up just to read the next step and photos.
Does anyone else have advice around improving this use case?
It is also super delayed in bringing up Eufy security camera feed so still need to use the phone eufy app to communicate with the delivery guy.
Otherwise, it’s been good for watching Netflix and YouTube shows and seeing my calendar and having visual timers. Video chat with another echo show is handy but you can do the same with a phone or tablet.
Everything else the Echo Dot can also do for a fraction of the cost.
If only I could use it for a home assistant dashboard!