It's experiences like this that make me question why anyone would spend this much effort and money setting up a system that isn't as good as what it replaces.

It's experiences like this that make me question why anyone would spend this much effort and money setting up a system that isn't as good as what it replaces. I have a convenient, quiet, perfectly reliable single-bit computer on the wall in every room in my house. It costs $1, can be operated by a 2 year old, is perfectly intuitive, and the only downside I can think of is that occasionally it necessitates I be very slightly less lazy than I might otherwise be able to aspire to, i.e. when I need to go downstairs and turn off a forgotten light. Considering my house is all using LED lights on hydro power, it's probably better for me to just leave a 5w light on all night than it is to install a Google Home setup here, in terms of my carbon footprint.