While I can understand why companies need something more than hardware(* see below ) to have better margins, I really hate the trend towards companies gathering

While I can understand why companies need something more than hardware(* see below ) to have better margins, I really hate the trend towards companies gathering more and more data about me to essentially show me ads - so this is a no go for me personally. If the software is hackable and the device customised so that I don't have to associate with my Amazon/Google accounts, this gets really interesting. Electronic components tend to become commodities which means there's usually a race to the bottom for prices of finished goods - so hardware companies hope to hold on to the data so that a) you don't switch b) they get more revenue out of you by selling your data or selling you ads. In this case though, Amazon might be selling below cost so that they can suck you deeper into the eco-system :) . Interesting times indeed!