Always? Like the Newton?
I think itās interesting that Googleās offering is not a IOT radio hub, even after some of their recent acquisitions etc, but rather a voice assistant competing directly with Echo.
It says a lot about where these organizations feel they can stake their claim. Where they might see major missteps to avoid. Etc
If will be interesting to see if one of them attempts to close that loop and deliver some sort of radio hub, logic engine, etc soon to solidify their position, etcā¦
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Yeah, Google owns the Revolv team/technology. They had a ton of radios in that little hunk of Tupperware.
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I totally agree with you on the usability factor. I use Alexa and SmartTiles/Home Dashboard 99% of the time. I really just use the ST app to add new devices or build automations to run in the background. That being said, most people (consumer or enthusiast) will still need some sort of physical hub to execute Alexaās (or Siri or Google Homeās) instructions to so many of the disparate āthingsā around the house. So either ST needs to have a consumer-friendly experience or Alexa/Google need to get some more radios into our homes.
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I was looking at the ST metrics in the Google Play store last time I updated, 100k plus downloads, plus the IOS number, whatever that isā¦this community probably represents <1% of the customers if you go by the download numbers. For every member there is here installing 3rd party smartapps, there are probably 100 that just use the built in routines and official smartapps.
User experiences are different too. I have Echo integration as well, but my use of it is fairly minimal. Probably 10% of my actions are verbal, 50% are automated through ST, 5% through the ST app, and the remaining 35% are based on physical switch presses. I donāt use Echo very much, I find the voice commands to be cumbersome unless my hands are full doing something else.
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or Apple TV?
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Apple does an amazing job turning other peopleās idea into high-quality manufacturable products, starting with computer mouse and ending with smart watch. Theyāre not known for āinventingā new products. Apple was not the first personal computer, iPhone was not the first smartphone, Apple Watch was not the first smartwatch and so on. Newton was an exception when theyāve actually tried to create a new product category, but technology (display, battery, wireless comms) wasnāt there yet. BTW, this happened after Jobs was fired, which basically proves that he was a great marketeer and salesman, but never was an āinnovatorā as some like to claim.
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I remember when apple was the bane of my existence.
I am amazed at how far theyāve pushed forward several computing categories.
Even more amazed at how they are now viewed by younger generations that think they started it all and made it all and are and always have been the king with no real challenger.
I also remember how they whined and complained, Steve specifically, in front of congress about competitors and now they of course do very similar competitive things in markets they have tremendous power in.
How things change.
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I know a guy who Jobs wanted to contract to design a power supply for Apple II and who turned him down because he believed Jobs was a fraud. 
Well he is in a lot of ways and I can see how someone would perceive that absent overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
What I mean is that he sells incredible ideas that are not fully backed by reality. He is very good at it. This is what a con is. Engineering types tend to pick up on this and are right to be hesitant to buy in, again absent proof.
[quote=āJH1, post:30, topic:59136ā]
Well he was in a lot of ways and I can see how someone would perceive that absent overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
What I mean is that he used to sell incredible ideas that are not fully backed by reality. He was very good at it.[/quote]
Minor corrections humbly submitted above, valid as of 5 years ago today.
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Could you folks please take the character analysis of deceased tech executives to another thread? Itās way off topic for this one. Thanks. 
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abeit expensive, my system works flawlessly, with many parts and hubs all being serviced through the amazon Echo -
Smart things for lights, motion detectors, zwave devices and fans, front door lock,honeywell wifi thermostats.
Then WInk for Lutron cennected lights and connected remotes
Then Lutron Castea for shades and Automations
IFTTT for integrating Harmony Hub remotes and my Lutron Shades into the mix.
Alexa is able to integrate with ALL of these items because of the partnerships and time developing those apps and skills.
Google home does sound exciting, but Amazon got a huge head start in terms of home automation. I didnt buy my Echo to ask it for directions to location X, Y or Z, or to find out how long my commute will take, or to ask where the nearest gas station is or to google the word onomatopoeia. Those are neat little features, but in day to day application, not super useful. I use my phone for directions and travel times, and for googling. There just is no substitute - just like having a handheld remote with physical buttons is the only way to go to watch TV and controm my AV system ( in my opinion). The only real advantage the google home has is ability to chromecast, but Amazon can easily integrate that ability into their existing hubs. Oh yeah, I have a Sonos system throughout the house. And at the beginning of next year, Echo will be able to directly integrate with Sonos without IFTTT. For me, that is huge.
Google isnt going to win this race, Amazon just got too far of a head start and developed too many partnerships and is already in too many homes. And they have very deep pockets.
Think Sonos. They arent the king of the hill because they are the absolute best quality you can get, or because they are the cheapest, or have the most features. They are king because they pretty much invented the book on whole home wifi audio that actually works, and has an easy to use system, and was ahead of the game before anyone even thought about challenging.
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WADR, the original question was weather Apple is losing the smart home battle and unfortunately itās impossible to separate Appleās corporate ego from its late charismatic CEO even after his earthly demise. His spirit still pretty much dominates Appleās boardroom, which is evident in how the current CEO tries to preserve his image in every single way.
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Hey, Iām just an engineer. I evaluate systems based on the features they deliver today, and the patents and hooks they have in place for the future. And of course the cost. Most of the rest of it is just marketing. 
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When iPhone was introduced in 2007, it was totally unimpressive, based on its features. Same with the HomeKit. But things may change if Apple sees the market opportunity. Amazon took a huge risk investing in a totally new product category. Now that itās proven to work, Apple may decide to put its tremendous engineering resources into refining this idea and blowing everyone else out of the water.
Sure, and all that might affect which stock someone wants to buy. Iām just trying to pick a light switch.
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Amazon also has another HUGE advantage over Google in the HA game. Everybody shops there. If they want to steal market share, they can just give the things away. I go a free Echo Dot when I purchased an Ecobee thermostat. They can still make their money back because it augments their other profitable products (Prime, shopping lists, etc.). Plus, if they roll out other products, they can use this as the Trojan Horse to push that stuff into your life.
Apple ācouldā do something similar with products if they roll any out. If you buy a $2,000 laptop, itās pretty easy to throw in a $150 gadget to buy market share. Google just doesnāt have this advantage (yet).
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When I purchased the Echo last year (via invite) I thought of it as a toy, albeit an expensive one. When it arrived, I saw that it was worth the money merely as an IP radio with voice control. Later I added Philips HUE and got some lighting control from her. Now I have SmartThings and use her to control that as well. Alexa is a strong interface for home automation, but is not the automation itself.
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What is automation then? Itās simply an ability to control physical devices in your home. Thereās no reason why Echo could not do that. The only remaining problem is the lack of universal home automation standard, but itās a temporary hurdle. This is the only reason you need a āhubā. As soon as the industry adopts a single standard, which will happen sooner or later, the loop will be closed.