3 ms·

> Do others find it useful? They have sold tens of millions of Alexa devices, is it really surprising that people find them useful?

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
drcross 9y ago
That's a stretched supposition. How do you know something is actually useful before you purchase it? You're ignoring the sell-ability factor- At 50 dollars it's something people can give to another that offers interactivity and an experience with less guilt if you don't end up using it than a goldfish that gets flushed down the toilet.
- jonknee 9y ago
  The customer reviews are across the board overwhelmingly positive. 4.3/5 with over 100,000 reviews of the Echo Dot for example. Also the facts that they keep bringing out new devices and are hiring extremely heavily would lead you to believe they see a very bright future in the product.
  - matte_black 9y ago
    When Alexa can control microwaves, ovens, blenders, TVs, phonelines, dishwashers, bathtubs and showers, Roombas, pressure cookers, WOW holy shit, an OS for your entire house. I envision pick and place robot arms that swing around your kitchen grabbing things and preparing meals too.
rpowers 9y ago
That logic could also apply to fidget spinners.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- adventured 9y ago
  > That logic could also apply to fidget spinners. Or stamps. Or shoelaces. Or umbrellas. Or wallets. Or lipstick. All useful things to millions of people. One fundamental difference with fidget spinners: they have already peaked and faded in popularity, Alexa continues to grow year by year. That's the true difference between something tens of millions of people (soon to be hundreds of millions of people) find useful, and something people temporarily find amusing.
  - rpowers 9y ago
    ... You write as if Alexa wont also 'have already peaked and faded in popularity' in a couple of years. Growth doesn't mean shit. Retention does. The example of fidget spinner is to highlight a counter example to the belief that selling well is an indicator for usefulness. It isn't.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

drcross 9y ago

That's a stretched supposition. How do you know something is actually useful before you purchase it? You're ignoring the sell-ability factor- At 50 dollars it's something people can give to another that offers interactivity and an experience with less guilt if you don't end up using it than a goldfish that gets flushed down the toilet.

jonknee 9y ago
The customer reviews are across the board overwhelmingly positive. 4.3/5 with over 100,000 reviews of the Echo Dot for example. Also the facts that they keep bringing out new devices and are hiring extremely heavily would lead you to believe they see a very bright future in the product.
- matte_black 9y ago
  When Alexa can control microwaves, ovens, blenders, TVs, phonelines, dishwashers, bathtubs and showers, Roombas, pressure cookers, WOW holy shit, an OS for your entire house. I envision pick and place robot arms that swing around your kitchen grabbing things and preparing meals too.

rpowers 9y ago

That logic could also apply to fidget spinners.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
adventured 9y ago
> That logic could also apply to fidget spinners. Or stamps. Or shoelaces. Or umbrellas. Or wallets. Or lipstick. All useful things to millions of people. One fundamental difference with fidget spinners: they have already peaked and faded in popularity, Alexa continues to grow year by year. That's the true difference between something tens of millions of people (soon to be hundreds of millions of people) find useful, and something people temporarily find amusing.
- rpowers 9y ago
  ... You write as if Alexa wont also 'have already peaked and faded in popularity' in a couple of years. Growth doesn't mean shit. Retention does. The example of fidget spinner is to highlight a counter example to the belief that selling well is an indicator for usefulness. It isn't.