Echo Users

[Ker_Thwap]

I'm thinking about buying this for my 82 year old blind dad. How much setup does this require? How finicky is it?

Degree of difficulty. I got him setup for audible books on Amazon at one point, and his lazy ass wife claimed she was too confused to click the play button for him. Can you just ask it to play a song, or do you have to own that song on Amazon, can you just ask it to play Irish music, or do you need to create your own Irish music playlist on Amazon/Pandora first?

Is it all going to fall apart if you're not logged into Amazon/Pandora? Need software on your Mac, or does it just need the basic modem, kind of like a stand alone lap top?

[Allereli]

It has to be set up to a Prime account to play Prime music, but it will also play music from whatever computer it's connected to through Bluetooth.

If you tell it to "play Irish music" it will play Irish music from a Prime playlist or another playlist from a connected service like iHeartRadio.

I honestly would not get it for someone who is not computer savvy.

You can access setup through a browser or app that is accessible from anywhere. Here are some screenshots:

7483 7484

edit: Audible book reading was very recently added on June 5 so as long as everything is connected, he should be able to tell Alexa to read a book and it will.

[Allereli]

How is his hearing? If you put the volume up too high for music, Alexa has a hard time hearing you give commands, but there is a remote mic he'd probably use more than me, you can probably put a nubby sticker on the command button for him.

[Ker_Thwap]

How is his hearing? If you put the volume up too high for music, Alexa has a hard time hearing you give commands, but there is a remote mic he'd probably use more than me, you can probably put a nubby sticker on the command button for him.

Thanks much. I'm thinking it might work if I buy it, set it up, sign up for the Amazon Prime/Music/books myself, set up a Google account with his zip code. Then I can just create playlists for him, order books he might like, etc.

The remote for the deafness might be a concern, just another layer of complexity for him.

[Allereli]

Thanks much. I'm thinking it might work if I buy it, set it up, sign up for the Amazon Prime/Music/books myself, set up a Google account with his zip code. Then I can just create playlists for him, order books he might like, etc.

The remote for the deafness might be a concern, just another layer of complexity for him.

yeah if you can keep on top of those things it might work for him, but based on what you said about your step mom, well, she sounds even more useless than mine.

When the Echo gets knocked off the net, you do have to be there to reset it, but that hasn't happened much to me.

The remote is mainly for using it further from the unit than it can hear, not necessarily specific for deaf people. It's also magnetized to stick on many surfaces.

[Gelston]

I got an invite for one of those. It would have just shipped this month, you know, when they opened them to everyone.

[Wrathbringer]

Thanks much. I'm thinking it might work if I buy it, set it up, sign up for the Amazon Prime/Music/books myself, set up a Google account with his zip code. Then I can just create playlists for him, order books he might like, etc.

Please come and do all this for ours. I mean, I'm mildly (read: moderately) retarded, sure, but all of that sounds really cumbersome. I just plugged ours up. We were already prime members, so it came with the zip already done. I mostly use ours for practicing instruments; playing along with songs or using it to play the accompaniment part. I asked Amazon for a metronome and chromatic tuner, but I guess they didn't get enough requests for that... I also ask it the weather some mornings too. It's cool, but given that our government will be using them to record conversations in our homes without our permission, I'll probably get rid of ours. Good times, though.

Edit: Oh, they can also control your thermostat/locks/lights/electronics now too. "Alexa, remotely arm the landmines in sectors 1, 2 and 3." Pretty cool. That way you don't have to have them constantly armed and you get your yard back. Your mileage may vary.

[iJin]

I touched an Echo once.

[Tisket]

Just ordered one. I fear we are going to just end up using it as an expensive, glorified alarm clock.

[kutter]

I keep seeing it on the Amazon page but I do not really get what it is. So you talk to it to get your computer to do things or is it just for playing things like audiobooks and music?

So I did a little more research, mostly seems like something a tablet could do just as well with the proper software. I am sure there are specific circumstances where it would be great, like in the OP's circumstance, just not sure it is not a solution for which there does not seem to be a problem.

[Tisket]

I keep seeing it on the Amazon page but I do not really get what it is. So you talk to it to get your computer to do things or is it just for playing things like audiobooks and music?

So I did a little more research, mostly seems like something a tablet could do just as well with the proper software. I am sure there are specific circumstances where it would be great, like in the OP's circumstance, just not sure it is not a solution for which there does not seem to be a problem.

Its a fun toy. Sound quality is okay for music which is good as that seems to be the primary use in our family. We are going to use it for lights but are waiting on the necessary accessories since we didn't order them when we ordered the Echo. I think, as further apps are developed, its usefulness will expand.

[Tisket]

I'm not sure how I feel about this but, I opened the Echo app on my cell and every command and query sent to Echo from all users with access are listed in the app. Seems like a bit of a future privacy issue brewing. I say "future" because at the moment, it's just a potential issue. If they add applications eventually that could be of a more personal nature, it might become problematic.

[Allereli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVsCdyjr8Qk

[Wrathbringer]

Due to this necro, I realized the op was buying this for a deaf person. What? How does that work?

[Gelston]

Due to this necro, I realized the op was buying this for a deaf person. What? How does that work?

Blind you non-reading fuck.

[Wrathbringer]

The remote for the deafness might be a concern, just another layer of complexity for him.

Yeah

[Gelston]

Yeah

That doesn't say he is deaf and no one ever did. It might be hard for him to locate the remote since, you know, he is blind. Who the fuck would be making music playlists for a deaf guy? No one. Learn to use your thinking skills. You have a brain.

[Wrathbringer]

That doesn't say he is deaf and no one ever did. It might be hard for him to locate the remote since, you know, he is blind. Who the fuck would be making music playlists for a deaf guy? No one. Learn to use your thinking skills. You have a brain.

...hence the question, shart ass.

[Gelston]

...hence the question, shart ass.

You've snorted too many sharts in your life. Time to step back and sober up.

[Wrathbringer]

You've snorted too many sharts in your life. Time to step back and sober up.

Sounds like someone is in dire need of a good old fashioned face sharting.

[Tisket]

Fucking easiest thing in the world. I love my echo so much I bought a couple Taps and Dots as well. The Tap is great for when we are in the yard. If you use the Dot to play music though the sound quality isn't as great as the full size Echo but you can connect it to a speaker for fantastic sound.

[Tisket]

I just noticed this was a necro thread. Boo.

Also:


That doesn't say he is deaf and no one ever did. It might be hard for him to locate the remote since, you know, he is blind. Who the fuck would be making music playlists for a deaf guy? No one. Learn to use your thinking skills. You have a brain.



The remote for the deafness might be a concern, just another layer of complexity for him.

[Gelston]

I just noticed this was a necro thread. Boo.

Also:

You're quoting my response to the exact thing he quoted for what reason? If the guy is deaf, he wouldn't bother making music play lists and audio books for him would he? He didn't, in the OP say he was deaf, he said blind. I imagine a remote is a hard thing for a blind man, since, you know.. They are blind.

[Tisket]

You're quoting my response to the exact thing he quoted for what reason? If the guy is deaf, he wouldn't bother making music play lists and audio books for him would he? He didn't, in the OP say he was deaf, he said blind. I imagine a remote is a hard thing for a blind man, since, you know.. They are blind.

I'm quoting Ker_Thwap. You know, the son of the blind and, it seems, deaf man.

[Tisket]

Gelston is on his period it seems.

[Gelston]

Gelston is on his period it seems.

Your reading comprehension is on its period.

[Tisket]

Your reading comprehension is on its period.

Your sense of humor is on it's period.

[Gelston]

Your sense of humor is on it's period.

Your period is on its period.