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HomePod HomePod Is Extremely Helpful During These Unfortunate Times

boltjames

boltjames

macrumors 601
Original poster
May 2, 2010
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COVID-19 has my family indoors for the past 10 days, and like every other family its a challenge for us as there are just so many things one can do in a given day without leaving the house.

As my kids are back from college, we now have a total of 5 HomePod's in the house, each in a different room, and it's keeping us all occupied, entertained, and informed. 5 million songs plus all of our rarities in the cloud makes the time pass quite nicely.

I've always been a huge HomePod fan- its unbelievable sound quality makes it a great audiophile accessory- but seeing my wife and kids interact with them all day long to play music or listen to news, it's also an incredibly versatile entertainment device.
 
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boltjames said:
its unbelievable sound quality makes it a great audiophile accessory
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Really though? I don’t own a HomePod but my ex did. I didn’t think it sounded THAT good. It’s certainly the best-sounding smart speaker I’ve ever heard, but that’s a low bar. Compared to my home stereo with floor-standing speakers, though, it doesn’t even come close.
 
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seinman said:
Really though? I don’t own a HomePod but my ex did. I didn’t think it sounded THAT good. It’s certainly the best-sounding smart speaker I’ve ever heard, but that’s a low bar. Compared to my home stereo with floor-standing speakers, though, it doesn’t even come close.
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I’m a fan of the device. Use it for light listening and HomeKit. I have 7 myself but for reasons unknown, ‘ol Boltjames will praise this speaker as the GOAT any chance he gets lol.
 
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You spelled aggravating wrong.

I have homekit shades*
I've had them for 2 years. worked OK
now when ask to open one of them them she respsonds "sorry I can't open apps here"
and another .." sorry I can't find that in Apple Music blah blah blah blah"

or the HomePod will just loose my hue lamps. They work fine from all other apple devices, just not HomePod until I unplug it.

and the music playback.
why hasn't apple learned that sometimes it's better to make a new app, then to roll new features into an older app. (at least they finally broke iTunes up)
So I have to go to command center, select the HomePod, then back to music, and select what I want to play.

I'm just happy I'm not trying to stereo pair, because it sounds like that doesn't work too well either.

I've got Sonos speakers.
There's a dedicated app, I can start a playlist on my phone, and edit it on the computer.
it's designed as a stand alone system, instead of an add-on to the phone.
I can airplay to them if I want also.

***for my shades,
it's a but complicated, but for the curious.

I'm using Somfy motors, with RS-485 option.
I then have a RasPi with a rs-485 adapter, running a custom python script.

I'm running home automation software called homeseer on another computer. it deals with my z-wave devices.
My shades are added to this using HomeSeer's scripting

I then use Homebridge with a homeseer plugin to get my z-wave devices and the shades into homekit.

I could probably run homebridge directly on the pi running my shades, and skip the homeseer step in the middle.but I'm not fluent enough in NodeJS to do that.

I'll also use homeseer for my more "advanced" automation needs like adding conditions to automation.
in homekit I can say "when front door opens turn on entry light"
but with homeseer I can make the same automation, but have it run only if it's nighttime
 
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Could have the same, with many more available services (ie far more versatile), for much cheaper, with Sonos.

boltjames said:
COVID-19 has my family indoors for the past 10 days, and like every other family its a challenge for us as there are just so many things one can do in a given day without leaving the house.

As my kids are back from college, we now have a total of 5 HomePod's in the house, each in a different room, and it's keeping us all occupied, entertained, and informed. 5 million songs plus all of our rarities in the cloud makes the time pass quite nicely.

I've always been a huge HomePod fan- its unbelievable sound quality makes it a great audiophile accessory- but seeing my wife and kids interact with them all day long to play music or listen to news, it's also an incredibly versatile entertainment device.
Click to expand...
 
robjulo said:
Could have the same, with many more available services (ie far more versatile), for much cheaper, with Sonos.
Click to expand...
Sure more versatile, but if you use Apple Music then what does versatility matter?

HomePod is routinely on sale for $200. I don't know what Sonos is much cheaper than that. A single Play One is not as good sounding as one HomePod.
 
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Sonos works with Apple Music. I have a Sonos One and I prefer it to my HomePod. Plus it actually works, which is, you know, a bonus.
 
If apple ever allows Siri to be used on Sonos like Google and Amazon have already done. My HomePod is going to the re-sell bin.
Mine is just used for home-kit control.

That being said, I have 2 sonos speakers that support voice, and I'll be keeping Alexa on one, because siri is seriously lacking in information gathering.
I ask ...
"what time does the petco in union square open"
Amazon - 10am
google - 10 am
siri "I found 37 petcos New York City, would you like me to list them"
 
pup said:
It’s an airplay speaker. How would it go obsolete any sooner than any other airplay speaker, including the HomePod?
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HomePod does $1 billion per year in revenue.

That’s the same annual revenue as the entire Sonos corporation.

And Apple did it with 1 sku.

And Sonos loses $15 million per year as a business.

It’s not HomePod that’s in jeopardy; it’s Sonos. Not a single Sonos speaker. The whole company.
 
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boltjames said:
HomePod does $1 billion per year in revenue.

That’s the same annual revenue as the entire Sonos corporation.

And Apple did it with 1 sku.

And Sonos loses $15 million per year as a business.

It’s not HomePod that’s in jeopardy; it’s Sonos. Not a single Sonos speaker. The whole company.
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I see you changed your facts about the HomePod being the number 1 selling consumer device of all time. Minus cell phones gaming systems. Etc.
 
boltjames said:
HomePod does $1 billion per year in revenue.

That’s the same annual revenue as the entire Sonos corporation.

And Apple did it with 1 sku.

And Sonos loses $15 million per year as a business.

It’s not HomePod that’s in jeopardy; it’s Sonos. Not a single Sonos speaker. The whole company.
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Since reports were that Apple was selling the HomePod at a loss even at the original $350 price point, Sonos needs to lose a heck of a lot more then $15m to catch up. I wonder which company is most likely to drop a money losing product, the one for which the product is their only business, or the one for which it's a sideline?
 
V_Man said:
I see you changed your facts about the HomePod being the number 1 selling consumer device of all time. Minus cell phones gaming systems. Etc.
Click to expand...

Not at all. Just simplifying the message. To trump Sonos and render it unnecessary doesn't take being the best selling consumer electronics product of all time, far from it. Sonos isn't formidable competition.

Sonos is also in big trouble. Luxury product, luxury pricepoint, fierce competition, a one-trick corporation losing money year after year. I wouldn't buy a Sonos right now. Strong possibility they won't be here in December.
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pup said:
Since reports were that Apple was selling the HomePod at a loss even at the original $350 price point, Sonos needs to lose a heck of a lot more then $15m to catch up. I wonder which company is most likely to drop a money losing product, the one for which the product is their only business, or the one for which it's a sideline?
Click to expand...

Not this again. HomePod is an accessory to a larger, profit-making business within one of the biggest companies in the entire world. Apple Music, even, same thing. The idea is for Apple to grow and protect its ecosystem by offering their consumers the types of products and services that enhances it while keeping competition at bay.

Keeping my family happy with Apple Music and our 5 HomePod's means we're going to keep our Macbook's and iPhones for the next product generations when they're due for an upgrade. Apple TV failed us so we jumped to whatever is bundled into our smart TV's, and the Apple original streaming content is weak. That's not the case with Apple Music and the associated hardware. HomePod thrills us, as does CarPlay and the Music app in our iPhones, so we're good there.

Apple won't drop HomePod because HomePod is essential for Apple Music subscribers and ensures those iPhones and Macbooks stay relevant. Not to mention, it's one sku that does $1 billion in revenue and shows no signs of obsolecence. Sonos may go out of business, that's the bigger concern. They were never healthy in their history, and the current situation with the economy may be too tough to overcome.
 
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boltjames said:
Not at all. Just simplifying the message. To trump Sonos and render it unnecessary doesn't take being the best selling consumer electronics product of all time, far from it. Sonos isn't formidable competition.

Sonos is also in big trouble. Luxury product, luxury pricepoint, fierce competition, a one-trick corporation losing money year after year. I wouldn't buy a Sonos right now. Strong possibility they won't be here in December.
[automerge]1585671160[/automerge]


Not this again. HomePod is an accessory to a larger, profit-making business within one of the biggest companies in the entire world. Apple Music, even, same thing. The idea is for Apple to grow and protect its ecosystem by offering their consumers the types of products and services that enhances it while keeping competition at bay.

Keeping my family happy with Apple Music and our 5 HomePod's means we're going to keep our Macbook's and iPhones for the next product generations when they're due for an upgrade. Apple TV failed us so we jumped to whatever is bundled into our smart TV's, and the Apple original streaming content is weak. That's not the case with Apple Music and the associated hardware. HomePod thrills us, as does CarPlay and the Music app in our iPhones, so we're good there.

Apple won't drop HomePod because HomePod is essential for Apple Music subscribers and ensures those iPhones and Macbooks stay relevant. Not to mention, it's one sku that does $1 billion in revenue and shows no signs of obsolecence. Sonos may go out of business, that's the bigger concern. They were never healthy in their history, and the current situation with the economy may be too tough to overcome.
Click to expand...
Simplifying the message? 🙄
 
boltjames said:
The HomePod is a fantastic audiophile speaker and it’s keeping my family entertained during a frightening time.

Simple.
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Changing your statements again. It’s the best audiophile speaker period. To it’s keeping my family entertained. Enjoy your HomePod.
 
V_Man said:
Changing your statements again. It’s the best audiophile speaker period. To it’s keeping my family entertained. Enjoy your HomePod.
Click to expand...

My position is not changed. I am pointing out that during these tough times where families are forced together the HomePod is an amazing form of entertainment.

Don’t make me say it again.
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robjulo said:
How much do you want to bet on Sonos not being around in December? As often as you are loud wrong. You want to bet the “beach house”; the “BMW”; the “Rolex”? Again, those who actually have money, don’t feel the need to brag about it on the internet.
Click to expand...

“Sonos Inc. [NASDAQ: SONO] closed the trading session at $8.40 on 03/30/20. The day’s price range saw the stock hit a low of $8.24, while the highest price level was $9.00. The stocks have a year to date performance of -46.22 percent. The stock has been moved at -37.82 percent over the last six months. The stock has performed -27.21 percent around the most recent 30 days and changed -44.04 percent over the most recent 3-months. “

Oops.
 
No offense, but the way you describe your family as having been forced together, using HomePods as company, sounds troubling.
 
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Very much enjoying HomePod in the backyard on this unseasonably warm afternoon. Lounge chairs, BBQ brisket, some Merlot, and a mix featuring U2 and Van Morrison. Making a bad situation much better.

Thanks, HomePod.
 
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iAssimilated said:
My Basement Homepod definitely made the task of painting my basement a much more pleasurable experience last week. I agree, thank you Homepod!
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boltjames said:
Very much enjoying HomePod in the backyard on this unseasonably warm afternoon. Lounge chairs, BBQ brisket, some Merlot, and a mix featuring U2 and Van Morrison. Making a bad situation much better.

Thanks, HomePod.
Click to expand...
The fact that you are thanking an inanimate object is scary.
 
What can I say, shelter in place does weird things to the brain. 🤪

Kidding aside, I am sure all of us have "thanked" some inanimate object at some point in our lives simply because we were thankful for its presence. A toy when you were a kid, a car when you were in your late teens, a phone for helping you find a location, etc. etc.
 
iAssimilated said:
What can I say, shelter in place does weird things to the brain. 🤪

Kidding aside, I am sure all of us have "thanked" some inanimate object at some point in our lives simply because we were thankful for its presence. A toy when you were a kid, a car when you were in your late teens, a phone for helping you find a location, etc. etc.
Click to expand...

Was more pointed at boltjames. Lol. He really is in love with his hp
 
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