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I worked as a programmer working with one of biggest home automation hardware companies in the world. Unfortunately, based on my experience, I don't think the p
by Falling3 10y ago
I worked as a programmer working with one of biggest home automation hardware companies in the world. Unfortunately, based on my experience, I don't think the products are yet at a point where anyone who doesn't full understand the hardware and software that's going into their homes should have a "smart home".
People who spent millions on their systems were consistently disappointed and upset due to a combination of hardware and software failures with no fallbacks.
- kevin_thibedeau 10y agoThat company is migrating away from the complex custom programming model and toward having components that just work together upon installation.
- Falling3 10y agoYou're absolutely right. But there are still several issues: - Their hardware is expensive. Orders of magnitude in some cases above alternatives. Part of the justification for the cost has been the flexibility and customization options available. - Their hardware failure rate is abysmal. - Their customer service is non-existent and all purchases/returns must go through dealers. - Most homeowners want to integrate with 3rd party systems: hvac, pool/spa, security. These generally require a programmer to some extent. - They just don't get it right a lot of the time. I've dealt with plenty of their devices that are just support to work out of the box. They generally don't.