Black Friday Spotlight: Best Buy's Apple Doorbuster Event Kicks Off Early With Sales on Everything From HomePod to MacBook Pro

[Mainsail]

Not sure how in-depth your research was, but I would prefer that you not experience problems down the road with your purchase rather than being happy for the here and now. Not really my problem, it is Apple with they flawed design that will lead to customers problems for them later on.

You experience the problem with the flawed engineering immediately compared to a company that has accommodated the cost of warranty or replacement down the road within its present price structure.

But that is okay if you prefer shiny and not reliable and then complain when you have experienced trouble with it down the road. I have a mid-2014 MBP and have yet to experience any issues, no downtime at all compared to the nightmares of the butterfly KB and the thermal issues with the 2018 onward retinal MBA.

Four year warranty pretty much confirms that Apple expects calculated problems with the keyboard within that timeframe and consumer cost out of pocket thereafter. Apple is expecting for its retina MBA customers to replace that thing within 4 years or less.

I like tech as most people here, however I have to smh over tech that is simply not reliable relating to thermal engineering and functionality and yes I am not holding Apple against the battery deteriorating over the span of multiple years.

You are correct that past iterations of the butterfly keyboard have been a real problem. The latest 2019 version has been out for 4 months, and I would love to see some unbiased data about issues with this version. Of course, that is difficult to come by. Personally, I don't see many complaints posted about the latest version, but that isn't very scientific. So, if a prospective buyer did research specifically about the 2019 keyboard, I don't think they would find much. There is lots of info about the older keyboard, and it tends to repeat itself in the echo chambers of these forms. Also, my personal experience with the 2019 keyboard has been great....no problems so far... time will tell. Though, it has only been about 3 months.

No keyboard or computer is flawless, and even the older scissor mechanisms would stick on occasion. Anyway, at this point, I am very happy with my 2019 MBA.

 

[revmacian]

Not sure how in-depth your research was..

Correct.

Not really my problem, it is Apple with they flawed design that will lead to customers problems for them later on.

I was referring to your apparent bias leading to the inability to forgive and move on without forever condemning a company for a mistake.

 

[PlayUltimate]

Why does the iPad one not work? It was working yesterday and now its not.

One day sale. There was a "Today Only" sign on the Best Buy website.

 

[code-m]

You are correct that past iterations of the butterfly keyboard have been a real problem. The latest 2019 version has been out for 4 months, and I would love to see some unbiased data about issues with this version. Of course, that is difficult to come by. Personally, I don't see many complaints posted about the latest version, but that isn't very scientific. So, if a prospective buyer did research specifically about the 2019 keyboard, I don't think they would find much. There is lots of info about the older keyboard, and it tends to repeat itself in the echo chambers of these forms. Also, my personal experience with the 2019 keyboard has been great....no problems so far... time will tell. Though, it has only been about 3 months.

No keyboard or computer is flawless, and even the older scissor mechanisms would stick on occasion. Anyway, at this point, I am very happy with my 2019 MBA.

Have you experienced any thermal issues, as the fan is placed questionable to the far left while the CPU on the far right without any perceivable path. This has been noted by many 3rd party repair persons, take a look on YouTube for more info.
[automerge]1573248822[/automerge]

Correct.


I was referring to your apparent bias leading to the inability to forgive and move on without forever condemning a company for a mistake.

Even if Apple fixed the keyboard issues, why offer a 4 year warranty and a possible redesign to a modified scissor that has been rumoured, and what about the recent thermal engineering that is flawed. For more information on this do a search on YouTube, where some repair persons explain that the fan is located on the far left and the CPU on the far right without a clear cooling patch. The machine under any prolonged use for example HandBrake encoding may either ruin the machine or shut it down.

The MBP to my knowledge do not have this issue other than 2018 models having CPU throttling, not sure if this has been resolved in the 2019 models.

 

[Mainsail]

Have you experienced any thermal issues, as the fan is placed questionable to the far left while the CPU on the far right without any perceivable path. This has been noted by many 3rd party repair persons, take a look on YouTube for more info.
[automerge]1573248822[/automerge]


Even if Apple fixed the keyboard issues, why offer a 4 year warranty and a possible redesign to a modified scissor that has been rumoured, and what about the recent thermal engineering that is flawed. For more information on this do a search on YouTube, where some repair persons explain that the fan is located on the far left and the CPU on the far right without a clear cooling patch. The machine under any prolonged use for example HandBrake encoding may either ruin the machine or shut it down.

The MBP to my knowledge do not have this issue other than 2018 models having CPU throttling, not sure if this has been resolved in the 2019 models.

Never had a thermal issue. Actually, I rarely hear the fan go on.

BTW - If buying research took you to this review, you would have no concerns about the 2019 MBA Keyboard.

watch

 

[4sallypat]

I just bought a 15” I9. Was hoping to wait but my 2010 finally died this morning. The available configurations forced me to get the top end model. The discount was well below education store pricing, and below a maxed-out 13 inch. Fingers are crossed that I don’t have the troubles that the 2018 models had.

Where is the discount ?
It's full priced on Best Buy....

 

[Mainsail]

Where is the discount ?
It's full priced on Best Buy....

I think you have to log into your Best Buy account.

 

[4sallypat]

I think you have to log into your Best Buy account.

Wow and thanks @Mainsail
You are correct - after logging in, I see $1000 off a MBP 15" !!!!
Now going to nearly max out my BB card....

 

[B4U]

Yeah, they're clearly trying to clear out shelves of the old units with this deal. Definitely sucks, free copy of MK8 Deluxe is a great offer!

They had the download version on sale sometime in June for about $40.
For my case, I can get it from the bases tax free and still only be 10 bucks more than Best Buy.

 

[MacSince1985]

Too bad they don't have any iMac configs with SSD.

 

[goobot]

I’m now a HomePod owner.

 

[esatamacmodular]

FYI regarding the homepod that's on sale - I purchased a homepod last year, set it up and excitedly said "Hey Siri, play (e.g.) Bob Dylan" and it replied saying it couldn't find anything!! My music is essentially a lifetime of CDs that I've purchased and ripped into iTunes, but that miserable homepod couldn't find any songs at all in my library via voice command!! I called Apple support and they promptly told me that the homepod is intended for an Apple Music subscription (where I'm paying every month) and it doesn't work in situations like mine. I need to always be paying. So I promptly returned it, laughing all the way to store at the stupidity of the Apple marketing team behind that greed induced decision.

wow i had always assumed a homepod would be able to accomplish this. thanks for letting me know. such BS.

 

[DoctorTech]

Just ordered my another HomePod at a GREAT price from Best Buy. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I honestly think the $299 regular price is a little over priced but I won't argue a bit about paying $199 for a HomePod.

 

[code-m]

Never had a thermal issue. Actually, I rarely hear the fan go on.

BTW - If buying research took you to this review, you would have no concerns about the 2019 MBA Keyboard.

watch

Your daily computing requirements maybe defined as a “light user”.

I did not hear and see any mention of the questionable thermal design in the linked video. Granted Apple provides a 4 year warranty on the 2019 keyboard but if they are so sure of the minor improvement to the gasket membrane why not offer it for the lifetime of the product. I keep my laptops for 5+ years, issues with a defective design usually crop up after the warranty period ends. This is from personal experience and hearing it from family and friends that is why extended warranties are pushed.

I am curious to see what the results are all around after the year plus mark. My mid-2014 MBP still running like a champ after 5+ years. I had a 11” MBA that I used for travel and that taken a beating yet still functioning flawless, never hear the fan run unless encoding lengthy videos and it was a joy to work on.

Please see this video for the issue as mentioned.

 

[Mainsail]

Your daily computing requirements maybe defined as a “light user”.

I did not hear and see any mention of the questionable thermal design in the linked video. Granted Apple provides a 4 year warranty on the 2019 keyboard but if they are so sure of the minor improvement to the gasket membrane why not offer it for the lifetime of the product. I keep my laptops for 5+ years, issues with a defective design usually crop up after the warranty period ends. This is from personal experience and hearing it from family and friends that is why extended warranties are pushed.

I am curious to see what the results are all around after the year plus mark. My mid-2014 MBP still running like a champ after 5+ years. I had a 11” MBA that I used for travel and that taken a beating yet still functioning flawless, never hear the fan run unless encoding lengthy videos and it was a joy to work on.

Please see this video for the issue as mentioned.

Thanks for the video. It has 290 comments, so I just scanned the first few. It looks like some tech folks having quite a debate about the design. All I can say is that it has not been an issue for me. Honestly, I didn't expect thermal issues with this low power CPU, so Ill keep an eye on it. No problems so far.

I would call my usage "typical" of MBA customers. Primarily, I use Apple standard applications plus productivity apps (iWork and MS Office). Occasionally, I do some photo editing and make a simple video in iMovie. I think this is pretty much the target market for the MBA. How many people that buy an MBA frequently use Handbrake? My guess is most of these folks buy a MBP.

 

[code-m]

Thanks for the video. It has 290 comments, so I just scanned the first few. It looks like some tech folks having quite a debate about the design. All I can say is that it has not been an issue for me. Honestly, I didn't expect thermal issues with this low power CPU, so Ill keep an eye on it. No problems so far.

I would call my usage "typical" of MBA customers. Primarily, I use Apple standard applications plus productivity apps (iWork and MS Office). Occasionally, I do some photo editing and make a simple video in iMovie. I think this is pretty much the target market for the MBA. How many people that buy an MBA frequently use Handbrake? My guess is most of these folks buy a MBP.

I will sum it up in a nutshell with what was discovered, every laptop will be stressed from time-to-time. For example you are working on an office document have some safari tbs open then suddenly you open your mail without thinking about it open a picture or video attachment and the CPU gets hot and the fan starts to kick into full speed without you realizing it.

I am not sure that most if not all users are actively and constantly monitoring their computer CPU temp and fans, I bet people will notice when it goes into high speed for a prolonged period. The point being is that over time depending on how many times the CPU temp goes up it starts deteriorating components sensitive to constant heat without proper cooling. It is poor thermal engineering on Apple’s part, other manufacturers have done similar like HP and have been successfully sued via class action.

At the end of the day if your business and time to drop a defective retina MBA even under warranty does not cost your money and aggravation for the inconvenience due to Apple’s poor engineering that is your prerogative and says more about you as a person for blind support.

I ended up picking up a few 2017 non-retina MBA 512GB as gifts because I know there is no thermal issues, the KB is solid and it has a SD card slot. Retina display is great however not at the expense of ports, upgradable SSD, KB and termal issues. I have a projector and 4K monitor if I require to wireless display for movies and TV shows.

Sorry I just don’t understand people who watch some blockbuster movies best watched on a big screen on a phone, tablet or laptop screen it cheapens the experience of the content and seems disrespectful to the director and crew for they hard work to make something amazing.

call me old school but I would not find it enjoyable to watch Star Wars, Aliens, Jurassic Park, Matrix, Inception, etc on a tiny screen. What a tragedy, laptop screen were designed for students on a budget. /personal thoughts

 

[Mainsail]

I will sum it up in a nutshell with what was discovered, every laptop will be stressed from time-to-time. For example you are working on an office document have some safari tbs open then suddenly you open your mail without thinking about it open a picture or video attachment and the CPU gets hot and the fan starts to kick into full speed without you realizing it.

I am not sure that most if not all users are actively and constantly monitoring their computer CPU temp and fans, I bet people will notice when it goes into high speed for a prolonged period. The point being is that over time depending on how many times the CPU temp goes up it starts deteriorating components sensitive to constant heat without proper cooling. It is poor thermal engineering on Apple’s part, other manufacturers have done similar like HP and have been successfully sued via class action.

At the end of the day if your business and time to drop a defective retina MBA even under warranty does not cost your money and aggravation for the inconvenience due to Apple’s poor engineering that is your prerogative and says more about you as a person for blind support.

I ended up picking up a few 2017 non-retina MBA 512GB as gifts because I know there is no thermal issues, the KB is solid and it has a SD card slot. Retina display is great however not at the expense of ports, upgradable SSD, KB and termal issues. I have a projector and 4K monitor if I require to wireless display for movies and TV shows.

Sorry I just don’t understand people who watch some blockbuster movies best watched on a big screen on a phone, tablet or laptop screen it cheapens the experience of the content and seems disrespectful to the director and crew for they hard work to make something amazing.

call me old school but I would not find it enjoyable to watch Star Wars, Aliens, Jurassic Park, Matrix, Inception, etc on a tiny screen. What a tragedy, laptop screen were designed for students on a budget. /personal thoughts

You need to relax and back-off with the personal attacks. This is just a tech forum. You made a decision to buy an older MBA and seem very happy with it. That's terrific. You don't need to justify that decision by attacking people that make different trade-offs and purchases. It's unseemly.

Someone posted that they were happy with their recent BB purchase of a 2019 MBA. You felt the need to attack him (and now me) for not doing research, being uninformed or having blind loyalty. Yet, there are reviews out there that say the 2019 KB is just fine. And, I am seeing very few complaints compared to the older models. Maybe you didn't want to take a chance on the new MBA even with the 4 year warranty. That's fine. I get it. Nevertheless, so far, I have been very happy with my 2019 MBA. No keyboard problems. No thermal problems, and I am a pretty typical MBA user. BTW - my prior computer was a 2014 MBA. It was a great laptop, and yes, the fan would go on from time to time.

Finally, what is with this diatribe about watching movies on computers, phones, and tablets vs big screen TVs? What does that have to do with anything? Are you rationalizing the poorer 2017 MBA screen resolution vs the 2019 MBA? Are you really that defensive about your decision to buy an older model? Don't be. It's ok. Relax. You don't need to justify your choice, and you don't need to attack others that make different choices.

 

[code-m]

Finally, what is with this diatribe about watching movies on computers, phones, and tablets vs big screen TVs? What does that have to do with anything? Are you rationalizing the poorer 2017 MBA screen resolution vs the 2019 MBA? Are you really that defensive about your decision to buy an older model? Don't be. It's ok. Relax. You don't need to justify your choice, and you don't need to attack others that make different choices.

A contention with Apple trying to market a Retina display at the cost of long term reliability. Seems like Apple’s priority is a laptop is all about the screen and nothing else, when in reality it is the entire package. For example having a 4K or higher screen on a laptop or even a phone defeats the purpose when battery and thermal issues have taken a back seat while Apple fully knowing that device is going to fail and blame the end user for everything other than its own failure of engineering.

I love beautiful designed and operating products inside and out, Apple has always had the edge with a well organized interior, however have been falling short at the expense of customer experience, due to blind loyalty.

It’s like the selling beautiful shoes that are uncomfortable but expensive, I prefer a beautiful and comfortable shoe that I don’t mind paying to have both.

People who don’t do proper research post on Apple’s official forum or here complaining about they expensive Apple equipment, when it could have been sidestepped by just doing proper research. But whatever, if Apple was 100% sure if the new materials used in the 2019 KB why not offer up a equipment lifetime warranty, why only four.

 

[Mainsail]

A contention with Apple trying to market a Retina display at the cost of long term reliability. Seems like Apple’s priority is a laptop is all about the screen and nothing else, when in reality it is the entire package. For example having a 4K or higher screen on a laptop or even a phone defeats the purpose when battery and thermal issues have taken a back seat while Apple fully knowing that device is going to fail and blame the end user for everything other than its own failure of engineering.

I love beautiful designed and operating products inside and out, Apple has always had the edge with a well organized interior, however have been falling short at the expense of customer experience, due to blind loyalty.

It’s like the selling beautiful shoes that are uncomfortable but expensive, I prefer a beautiful and comfortable shoe that I don’t mind paying to have both.

People who don’t do proper research post on Apple’s official forum or here complaining about they expensive Apple equipment, when it could have been sidestepped by just doing proper research. But whatever, if Apple was 100% sure if the new materials used in the 2019 KB why not offer up a equipment lifetime warranty, why only four.

OK. So, first you argue that an extended 4 year warranty is evidence that Apple believes the 2019 KB is defective. Now you argue that Apple should offer a lifetime warranty to prove the KB is perfect. Please pick a line of reasoning. Apple doesn't offer a lifetime warranty on the 2017 MBA that you bought. Does that mean it's defective. BTW - Also, please provide a list of manufactures that are 100% sure of the reliability of their laptops.

Also, you missed the point about this screen thing. Why are you even going off on that? It just seems like you feel defensive about your 2017 MBA purchase because the screen resolution is not as good as the 2019 MBA. I don't care. You don't need to justify it to anyone. If you like the 2017 model that is great.

Finally, how do you know how much research people did before they bought their computer. I did a lot of research on the butterfly KB, and I just did not find many complaints with the 2019 version. You are making the assumption that all well informed (i.e. have done their research) MBA consumers will make the same trade-offs that you did and come to the same conclusion about what to buy. This is a very narrow perspective. Please reconsider this viewpoint and try to be more respectful of others and their choices.

 

[code-m]

OK. So, first you argue that an extended 4 year warranty is evidence that Apple believes the 2019 KB is defective. Now you argue that Apple should offer a lifetime warranty to prove the KB is perfect. Please pick a line of reasoning. Apple doesn't offer a lifetime warranty on the 2017 MBA that you bought. Does that mean it's defective. BTW - Also, please provide a list of manufactures that are 100% sure of the reliability of their laptops.

Also, you missed the point about this screen thing. Why are you even going off on that? It just seems like you feel defensive about your 2017 MBA purchase because the screen resolution is not as good as the 2019 MBA. I don't care. You don't need to justify it to anyone. If you like the 2017 model that is great.

Finally, how do you know how much research people did before they bought their computer. I did a lot of research on the butterfly KB, and I just did not find many complaints with the 2019 version. You are making the assumption that all well informed (i.e. have done their research) MBA consumers will make the same trade-offs that you did and come to the same conclusion about what to buy. This is a very narrow perspective. Please reconsider this viewpoint and try to be more respectful of others and their choices.

Please inform if you are a computer hardware engineer or repair person who does this for a living, if not then the best advise is to seek expertise form unbiased individuals. The reference provided makes money from doing repairs from Apple's faulty engineering and poor Apple Care support via the physical store that has lied multiple several times to many trusting and unknowledgeable Apple customers. To me that is not customer service when a company selling a product is knowingly doing so by misinforming customers and directing them to purchase new products when it is not even the customers fault. The reference you provided seems like a comparison sales pitch, the individual is not an engineer or even repairs computers for a profession.

The referenced individual is more than happy that you keep purchasing the 2019 retina MBA so his shop can charge you for Apple's mishap, he also recommends the 2017 MBA due to it's reliability. That is the name of the game mate, you seem to be taking it as a personal attack.

I am rather happy with the screen of the 2017 MBA, it is the go to for many students and a vast majority of other professionals that require a reliable computer. Imagine having to submit a paper and having your shiny new retina MBA kick the dust. One cannot use the excuse sorry Prof. my retina MBA had a thermal meltdown and I just didn't know it would happen to me.

I bring up the screen because that was Apple's big selling point for the 2018 retina-MBA, nobody wanted the unreliable over the long haul butterfly KB, no MagSafe, no SD card slot, and a fan that blows air to who knows where. Heck all Apple had to do was update the screen to retina on the 2017 MBA (or leave it as is and just update the CPU and option for more RAM), leave everything else untouched and people would buy it more so then even the Butterfly KB MBP. That friend is the unfortunate truth because even my mid-2014 MBP is quite a capable device today, I had a 2015 MBP 15" with 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM but prefer the portability. As a bonus I can upgrade this SSD to 2TB, try that with your purchase of choice. Sad part is in the coming years you will have a lemon on your hands and the only thing Apple will fix past the 1 year standard warranty is the KB, unless you added the purchase of AC. FYI, I have never required to purchase AC for any of my devices.

I am always surprised that people will give Apple a pass if the turd is shiny, demand reliability and possibly upgradability from a company that used to have some of the best laptops on the market. What we get now is thermal throttling, poor engineering, etcetera etcetera. I am also a shareholder, I should technically be happy that you purchased a lemon in the coming years, but I prefer that you have a reliable computer and push Apple to do better than simply engineer for planned obsolescence while blaming the customer. To me customer service far outweighs lies. But whatever take this as a personal attack if you prefer, though it is not meant to be so.

 

[honestone33]

This Samsung 1 TB SSD is a great deal:

Samsung 860 EVO 1TB Internal SATA 2.5" Solid State Drive MZ-76E1T0B/AM - Best Buy

Shop Samsung 860 EVO 1TB Internal SATA 2.5" Solid State Drive products at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. Price Match Guarantee.

www.bestbuy.com

(The price $139.99 is today, but it will be on sale for $30 less). I have a 500 gig Samsung 860 EVO SSD, and it works great, so I for one highly recommend this excellent SSD. And one can purchase an inexpensive Orico Enclosure, like this one:

ORICO USB 3.0 to SATA III 2.5" External Hard Drive Enclosure for 2.5 Inch 7mm-9.5mm SATA HDD/SSD Tool Free [UASP Supported],Black(2189U3)

ORICO USB 3.0 to SATA III 2.5" External Hard Drive Enclosure for 2.5 Inch 7mm-9.5mm SATA HDD/SSD Tool Free [UASP Supported],Black(2189U3)

www.amazon.com

It is easy to "mount/insert" the Samsung SSD inside of it. I have 3 such enclosures, and they work great. In fact, they are small enough to fit in one's shirt pocket.

 

[Mainsail]

Please inform if you are a computer hardware engineer or repair person who does this for a living, if not then the best advise is to seek expertise form unbiased individuals. The reference provided makes money from doing repairs from Apple's faulty engineering and poor Apple Care support via the physical store that has lied multiple several times to many trusting and unknowledgeable Apple customers. To me that is not customer service when a company selling a product is knowingly doing so by misinforming customers and directing them to purchase new products when it is not even the customers fault. The reference you provided seems like a comparison sales pitch, the individual is not an engineer or even repairs computers for a profession.

The referenced individual is more than happy that you keep purchasing the 2019 retina MBA so his shop can charge you for Apple's mishap, he also recommends the 2017 MBA due to it's reliability. That is the name of the game mate, you seem to be taking it as a personal attack.

I am rather happy with the screen of the 2017 MBA, it is the go to for many students and a vast majority of other professionals that require a reliable computer. Imagine having to submit a paper and having your shiny new retina MBA kick the dust. One cannot use the excuse sorry Prof. my retina MBA had a thermal meltdown and I just didn't know it would happen to me.

I bring up the screen because that was Apple's big selling point for the 2018 retina-MBA, nobody wanted the unreliable over the long haul butterfly KB, no MagSafe, no SD card slot, and a fan that blows air to who knows where. Heck all Apple had to do was update the screen to retina on the 2017 MBA (or leave it as is and just update the CPU and option for more RAM), leave everything else untouched and people would buy it more so then even the Butterfly KB MBP. That friend is the unfortunate truth because even my mid-2014 MBP is quite a capable device today, I had a 2015 MBP 15" with 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM but prefer the portability. As a bonus I can upgrade this SSD to 2TB, try that with your purchase of choice. Sad part is in the coming years you will have a lemon on your hands and the only thing Apple will fix past the 1 year standard warranty is the KB, unless you added the purchase of AC. FYI, I have never required to purchase AC for any of my devices.

I am always surprised that people will give Apple a pass if the turd is shiny, demand reliability and possibly upgradability from a company that used to have some of the best laptops on the market. What we get now is thermal throttling, poor engineering, etcetera etcetera. I am also a shareholder, I should technically be happy that you purchased a lemon in the coming years, but I prefer that you have a reliable computer and push Apple to do better than simply engineer for planned obsolescence while blaming the customer. To me customer service far outweighs lies. But whatever take this as a personal attack if you prefer, though it is not meant to be so.

There are plenty of references and source regarding the 2019 KB. The truth is I have not found very many issues with the 2019 Keyboard, and certainly far fewer problems than the older versions after 4 months in the wild.

Now, you really need to work on your etiquette. Stop personally attacking people. Stop using incendiary and vulgar language. Stop assuming that your trade-offs and priorities are the same as everyone else, and therefore, your choice is the right one for everybody else. Try to respect others' and their choices.

But most of all, you need to stop being so defensive about purchasing a 2017 MBA. It is ok. Sure there are people that will criticize the screen and older design, but stop letting that bother you so much. You don't need to keep justifying it. The older MBA was a great computer. My 2014 MBA was one of my favorite all time devices. You should be happy with your computer. If you are starting to regret the decision, don't pick fights on tech forums and insult people just so you feel better about it. Instead, research your options. Maybe you could trade it in. I understand BB has some great deals right now.😀

This is my last reply to you. Hopefully, you will improve your communication skills, and we can chat again on this forum. Let's see how you comport yourself.

 

[JaguarSVR]

wow i had always assumed a homepod would be able to accomplish this. thanks for letting me know. such BS.

Homepod does work with your itunes library. No need to have a subscription. I use it all the time and I do not have an Apple Music Subsciption. With the latest update you can now hold your I-phone by the Homepod and the HP will play the song that is currently playing on your phone. Good for when you just get home and want to continue listening. Have three HP now and have been trying to use them more and more for diffenent things. Made some calls using it the other week and it worked out great.

 

[esatamacmodular]

Homepod does work with your itunes library. No need to have a subscription. I use it all the time and I do not have an Apple Music Subsciption. With the latest update you can now hold your I-phone by the Homepod and the HP will play the song that is currently playing on your phone. Good for when you just get home and want to continue listening. Have three HP now and have been trying to use them more and more for diffenent things. Made some calls using it the other week and it worked out great.

Can you confirm the voice command (eg "play bob dylan") feature for homepod works with my itunes library built from CDs (of bob dylan) that I have ripped to iTunes? - that is the feature we are looking for...

 

[jbachandouris]

I'd love to buy another HomePod but the room is a little to small for two of them.

I want a new Apple TV, but not at $179-199.