RE: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Simon Fogarty]

I must admit I like the sound of the home pods,
But as we’re not getting them here in NZ, I’ll stay with sonos

I just have to save for a while to get the sonos play 5 speakers
From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Anders Holmberg
Sent: Friday, 23 November 2018 8:49 AM
To: 'Chris Blouch' via MacVisionaries 
Subject: Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
product

Hi Tim!
That’s a very very good point.
I am at both apple’s and Android world.
Both OS have flaws and Issues but i can do much more easier on the Apple device 
than i actually can on an android.
On the other hand Android can  be changable to its maximum.
You can root the android devices (at your own risk).
But if you talk accessibility i’d say Android is not as accessible as the Apple 
Devices.
/A


22 nov. 2018 kl. 00:55 skrev 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>>:

Hi,

Yes, any company can have security issues.  The real issue is how your personal 
information is used and how it is kept.  Google and Amazon use your information 
in a much different way than Apple.  Apple does not store mounds of personal 
information that is open to third party people for various reasons.  The 
tracking of your usage data and other related information by Google and Amazon 
leaves you more vulnerable to compromise than a company that does not collect 
data in similar manners.

Another thing that I'd like to mention here is regarding the price of Apple 
hardware.  Consider that both Google gains a huge amount of income from 
advertising revenue.  Amazon from sales of just about anything.  Apple does not 
have third party advertising revenue like Google, nor does it sell the 
multitude of items that Amazon does.  Yes, Apple products are expensive 
compared the other two products mentioned here, but think about it:

• Both the MacOS and iOS operating systems are free, not just for decimal 
upgrades.  Do these employees work for free?
• tons of Apple stock software is also free.  Do these developers work for free?
• Accessibility has been a priority for years.  I doubt that this team works 
for free either.
• I believe that the hardware in most Apple products, as well as the design 
principles, is top tier.  The comparable hardware by Samsung and Google are not 
priced that much different.  Sure you can get a Google Mini cheap, as you can 
an Amazon Dot, but when you price the Google Home Max, it isn't that much 
different price-wise as the HomePod.

We are all consumers.  We can buy all sorts of things at differing levels of 
quality or price-points.  I can purchase three to one Windows boxes to iMacs 
for my workplace, but the cost of ownership and longevity of the iMacs make it 
a much more useful tool for the people we serve.

People need to look at this from more than one vantage point if they are going 
to get a true sense of things.  If all you care about is price, then purchase 
whatever fits your budget.

I'll stop now.  I have real work to do.

Later...


Tim Kilburn
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

On Nov 21, 2018, at 09:39, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> wrote:

Also, any company can have security issues. That includes Apple. So all this 
paranoya about Amazon and Google using your information is ridiculous.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com


On Nov 21, 2018, at 12:35 AM, lenron brown 
mailto:lenro...@gmail.com>> wrote:

That's right apple gets you by over charging you anyways. So they are
not really all out for the customer either. All these companies have
an end game I suppose. I would choose Amazon or google in the smart
speaker space or even sonos. Besides you can always hook them up to a
nice surround sound system, so I am not overly stressed about the
sound they put out. If I buy a smart speaker I want it to be smart and
come at a good price. Maybe I am just thinking as someone that doesn't
come from a place of just being able to drop the big bucks.

On 11/20/18, Anders Holmberg 
mailto:and...@pipkrokodil.se>> wrote:

HI!
Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
/A


20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown 
mailto:lenro...@gmail.com>>:

If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.

On 11/19/18, Mary Otten mailto:motte...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Anders Holmberg]

Hi Tim!
That’s a very very good point.
I am at both apple’s and Android world.
Both OS have flaws and Issues but i can do much more easier on the Apple device 
than i actually can on an android.
On the other hand Android can  be changable to its maximum.
You can root the android devices (at your own risk).
But if you talk accessibility i’d say Android is not as accessible as the Apple 
Devices.
/A

> 22 nov. 2018 kl. 00:55 skrev 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
> :
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Yes, any company can have security issues.  The real issue is how your 
> personal information is used and how it is kept.  Google and Amazon use your 
> information in a much different way than Apple.  Apple does not store mounds 
> of personal information that is open to third party people for various 
> reasons.  The tracking of your usage data and other related information by 
> Google and Amazon leaves you more vulnerable to compromise than a company 
> that does not collect data in similar manners.
> 
> Another thing that I'd like to mention here is regarding the price of Apple 
> hardware.  Consider that both Google gains a huge amount of income from 
> advertising revenue.  Amazon from sales of just about anything.  Apple does 
> not have third party advertising revenue like Google, nor does it sell the 
> multitude of items that Amazon does.  Yes, Apple products are expensive 
> compared the other two products mentioned here, but think about it:
> 
> • Both the MacOS and iOS operating systems are free, not just for decimal 
> upgrades.  Do these employees work for free?
> • tons of Apple stock software is also free.  Do these developers work for 
> free?
> • Accessibility has been a priority for years.  I doubt that this team works 
> for free either.
> • I believe that the hardware in most Apple products, as well as the design 
> principles, is top tier.  The comparable hardware by Samsung and Google are 
> not priced that much different.  Sure you can get a Google Mini cheap, as you 
> can an Amazon Dot, but when you price the Google Home Max, it isn't that much 
> different price-wise as the HomePod.
> 
> We are all consumers.  We can buy all sorts of things at differing levels of 
> quality or price-points.  I can purchase three to one Windows boxes to iMacs 
> for my workplace, but the cost of ownership and longevity of the iMacs make 
> it a much more useful tool for the people we serve.
> 
> People need to look at this from more than one vantage point if they are 
> going to get a true sense of things.  If all you care about is price, then 
> purchase whatever fits your budget.
> 
> I'll stop now.  I have real work to do.
> 
> Later...
> 
> 
> Tim Kilburn
> Apple Teacher
> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
> 
> On Nov 21, 2018, at 09:39, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
> wrote:
> 
> Also, any company can have security issues. That includes Apple. So all this 
> paranoya about Amazon and Google using your information is ridiculous.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
> 
>> On Nov 21, 2018, at 12:35 AM, lenron brown > > wrote:
>> 
>> That's right apple gets you by over charging you anyways. So they are
>> not really all out for the customer either. All these companies have
>> an end game I suppose. I would choose Amazon or google in the smart
>> speaker space or even sonos. Besides you can always hook them up to a
>> nice surround sound system, so I am not overly stressed about the
>> sound they put out. If I buy a smart speaker I want it to be smart and
>> come at a good price. Maybe I am just thinking as someone that doesn't
>> come from a place of just being able to drop the big bucks.
>> 
>> On 11/20/18, Anders Holmberg > > wrote:
>>> HI!
>>> Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
>>> I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
>>> But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
>>> /A
>>> 
 20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown >>> >:
 
 If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
 love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
 Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.
 
 On 11/19/18, Mary Otten mailto:motte...@gmail.com>> 
 wrote:
> Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
> folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
> quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But
> I
> always find it interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than
> just
> from those being paid to write reviews.
> Mary
> 
> 
> 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries]

Hi John,

I was at a conference in Minneapolis a couple weeks ago for Apple IT's with 
around 2000 delegates.  It was very interesting to have both IBM and Microsoft 
in attendance speaking about how they use Macs in their corporations.  This is 
not to say that they don't use other platforms as well, just that these are 
corporations that we'd normally not expect to have employees using Macs.  The 
IBM presenters told us that they have about 25% Macs within their organization.

Just some food for thought.

Later...

Tim Kilburn
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

On Nov 21, 2018, at 17:09, John JD Denning  wrote:

Well sad Tim.

It’s funny many years ago in the 80s when I worked in the Mac community we used 
to say IBM stand for I buy max. Well today IBM buys Maxx. They say the TCO for 
the Mac platform is much lower then the Windows platform.

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 21, 2018, at 18:55, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> Yes, any company can have security issues.  The real issue is how your 
> personal information is used and how it is kept.  Google and Amazon use your 
> information in a much different way than Apple.  Apple does not store mounds 
> of personal information that is open to third party people for various 
> reasons.  The tracking of your usage data and other related information by 
> Google and Amazon leaves you more vulnerable to compromise than a company 
> that does not collect data in similar manners.
> 
> Another thing that I'd like to mention here is regarding the price of Apple 
> hardware.  Consider that both Google gains a huge amount of income from 
> advertising revenue.  Amazon from sales of just about anything.  Apple does 
> not have third party advertising revenue like Google, nor does it sell the 
> multitude of items that Amazon does.  Yes, Apple products are expensive 
> compared the other two products mentioned here, but think about it:
> 
> • Both the MacOS and iOS operating systems are free, not just for decimal 
> upgrades.  Do these employees work for free?
> • tons of Apple stock software is also free.  Do these developers work for 
> free?
> • Accessibility has been a priority for years.  I doubt that this team works 
> for free either.
> • I believe that the hardware in most Apple products, as well as the design 
> principles, is top tier.  The comparable hardware by Samsung and Google are 
> not priced that much different.  Sure you can get a Google Mini cheap, as you 
> can an Amazon Dot, but when you price the Google Home Max, it isn't that much 
> different price-wise as the HomePod.
> 
> We are all consumers.  We can buy all sorts of things at differing levels of 
> quality or price-points.  I can purchase three to one Windows boxes to iMacs 
> for my workplace, but the cost of ownership and longevity of the iMacs make 
> it a much more useful tool for the people we serve.
> 
> People need to look at this from more than one vantage point if they are 
> going to get a true sense of things.  If all you care about is price, then 
> purchase whatever fits your budget.
> 
> I'll stop now.  I have real work to do.
> 
> Later...
> 
> 
> Tim Kilburn
> Apple Teacher
> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
> 
> On Nov 21, 2018, at 09:39, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
> wrote:
> 
> Also, any company can have security issues. That includes Apple. So all this 
> paranoya about Amazon and Google using your information is ridiculous.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
> 
>> On Nov 21, 2018, at 12:35 AM, lenron brown > > wrote:
>> 
>> That's right apple gets you by over charging you anyways. So they are
>> not really all out for the customer either. All these companies have
>> an end game I suppose. I would choose Amazon or google in the smart
>> speaker space or even sonos. Besides you can always hook them up to a
>> nice surround sound system, so I am not overly stressed about the
>> sound they put out. If I buy a smart speaker I want it to be smart and
>> come at a good price. Maybe I am just thinking as someone that doesn't
>> come from a place of just being able to drop the big bucks.
>> 
>> On 11/20/18, Anders Holmberg > > wrote:
>>> HI!
>>> Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
>>> I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
>>> But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
>>> /A
>>> 
 20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown >>> >:
 
 If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
 love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[John JD Denning]

Well sad Tim.

It’s funny many years ago in the 80s when I worked in the Mac community we used 
to say IBM stand for I buy max. Well today IBM buys Maxx. They say the TCO for 
the Mac platform is much lower then the Windows platform.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 21, 2018, at 18:55, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Yes, any company can have security issues.  The real issue is how your 
> personal information is used and how it is kept.  Google and Amazon use your 
> information in a much different way than Apple.  Apple does not store mounds 
> of personal information that is open to third party people for various 
> reasons.  The tracking of your usage data and other related information by 
> Google and Amazon leaves you more vulnerable to compromise than a company 
> that does not collect data in similar manners.
> 
> Another thing that I'd like to mention here is regarding the price of Apple 
> hardware.  Consider that both Google gains a huge amount of income from 
> advertising revenue.  Amazon from sales of just about anything.  Apple does 
> not have third party advertising revenue like Google, nor does it sell the 
> multitude of items that Amazon does.  Yes, Apple products are expensive 
> compared the other two products mentioned here, but think about it:
> 
> • Both the MacOS and iOS operating systems are free, not just for decimal 
> upgrades.  Do these employees work for free?
> • tons of Apple stock software is also free.  Do these developers work for 
> free?
> • Accessibility has been a priority for years.  I doubt that this team works 
> for free either.
> • I believe that the hardware in most Apple products, as well as the design 
> principles, is top tier.  The comparable hardware by Samsung and Google are 
> not priced that much different.  Sure you can get a Google Mini cheap, as you 
> can an Amazon Dot, but when you price the Google Home Max, it isn't that much 
> different price-wise as the HomePod.
> 
> We are all consumers.  We can buy all sorts of things at differing levels of 
> quality or price-points.  I can purchase three to one Windows boxes to iMacs 
> for my workplace, but the cost of ownership and longevity of the iMacs make 
> it a much more useful tool for the people we serve.
> 
> People need to look at this from more than one vantage point if they are 
> going to get a true sense of things.  If all you care about is price, then 
> purchase whatever fits your budget.
> 
> I'll stop now.  I have real work to do.
> 
> Later...
> 
> 
> Tim Kilburn
> Apple Teacher
> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
> 
> On Nov 21, 2018, at 09:39, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Also, any company can have security issues. That includes Apple. So all this 
> paranoya about Amazon and Google using your information is ridiculous.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com
> 
>> On Nov 21, 2018, at 12:35 AM, lenron brown  wrote:
>> 
>> That's right apple gets you by over charging you anyways. So they are
>> not really all out for the customer either. All these companies have
>> an end game I suppose. I would choose Amazon or google in the smart
>> speaker space or even sonos. Besides you can always hook them up to a
>> nice surround sound system, so I am not overly stressed about the
>> sound they put out. If I buy a smart speaker I want it to be smart and
>> come at a good price. Maybe I am just thinking as someone that doesn't
>> come from a place of just being able to drop the big bucks.
>> 
>>> On 11/20/18, Anders Holmberg  wrote:
>>> HI!
>>> Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
>>> I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
>>> But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
>>> /A
>>> 
 20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown :
 
 If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
 love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
 Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.
 
> On 11/19/18, Mary Otten  wrote:
> Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
> folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
> quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But
> I
> always find it interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than
> just
> from those being paid to write reviews.
> Mary
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:57 AM, Matthew Horspool 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Mary,
>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it
>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries]

Hi,

Yes, any company can have security issues.  The real issue is how your personal 
information is used and how it is kept.  Google and Amazon use your information 
in a much different way than Apple.  Apple does not store mounds of personal 
information that is open to third party people for various reasons.  The 
tracking of your usage data and other related information by Google and Amazon 
leaves you more vulnerable to compromise than a company that does not collect 
data in similar manners.

Another thing that I'd like to mention here is regarding the price of Apple 
hardware.  Consider that both Google gains a huge amount of income from 
advertising revenue.  Amazon from sales of just about anything.  Apple does not 
have third party advertising revenue like Google, nor does it sell the 
multitude of items that Amazon does.  Yes, Apple products are expensive 
compared the other two products mentioned here, but think about it:

• Both the MacOS and iOS operating systems are free, not just for decimal 
upgrades.  Do these employees work for free?
• tons of Apple stock software is also free.  Do these developers work for free?
• Accessibility has been a priority for years.  I doubt that this team works 
for free either.
• I believe that the hardware in most Apple products, as well as the design 
principles, is top tier.  The comparable hardware by Samsung and Google are not 
priced that much different.  Sure you can get a Google Mini cheap, as you can 
an Amazon Dot, but when you price the Google Home Max, it isn't that much 
different price-wise as the HomePod.

We are all consumers.  We can buy all sorts of things at differing levels of 
quality or price-points.  I can purchase three to one Windows boxes to iMacs 
for my workplace, but the cost of ownership and longevity of the iMacs make it 
a much more useful tool for the people we serve.

People need to look at this from more than one vantage point if they are going 
to get a true sense of things.  If all you care about is price, then purchase 
whatever fits your budget.

I'll stop now.  I have real work to do.

Later...


Tim Kilburn
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

On Nov 21, 2018, at 09:39, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
 wrote:

Also, any company can have security issues. That includes Apple. So all this 
paranoya about Amazon and Google using your information is ridiculous.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 

> On Nov 21, 2018, at 12:35 AM, lenron brown  > wrote:
> 
> That's right apple gets you by over charging you anyways. So they are
> not really all out for the customer either. All these companies have
> an end game I suppose. I would choose Amazon or google in the smart
> speaker space or even sonos. Besides you can always hook them up to a
> nice surround sound system, so I am not overly stressed about the
> sound they put out. If I buy a smart speaker I want it to be smart and
> come at a good price. Maybe I am just thinking as someone that doesn't
> come from a place of just being able to drop the big bucks.
> 
> On 11/20/18, Anders Holmberg  > wrote:
>> HI!
>> Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
>> I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
>> But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
>> /A
>> 
>>> 20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown >> >:
>>> 
>>> If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
>>> love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
>>> Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.
>>> 
>>> On 11/19/18, Mary Otten mailto:motte...@gmail.com>> 
>>> wrote:
 Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
 folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
 quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But
 I
 always find it interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than
 just
 from those being paid to write reviews.
 Mary
 
 
 Sent from my iPhone
 
> On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:57 AM, Matthew Horspool  >
> wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it
> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it
> to
> do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as,
> say,
> Google Assistant. There are still many 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries]

Also, any company can have security issues. That includes Apple. So all this 
paranoya about Amazon and Google using your information is ridiculous.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com

> On Nov 21, 2018, at 12:35 AM, lenron brown  wrote:
> 
> That's right apple gets you by over charging you anyways. So they are
> not really all out for the customer either. All these companies have
> an end game I suppose. I would choose Amazon or google in the smart
> speaker space or even sonos. Besides you can always hook them up to a
> nice surround sound system, so I am not overly stressed about the
> sound they put out. If I buy a smart speaker I want it to be smart and
> come at a good price. Maybe I am just thinking as someone that doesn't
> come from a place of just being able to drop the big bucks.
> 
> On 11/20/18, Anders Holmberg  wrote:
>> HI!
>> Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
>> I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
>> But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
>> /A
>> 
>>> 20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown :
>>> 
>>> If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
>>> love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
>>> Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.
>>> 
>>> On 11/19/18, Mary Otten  wrote:
 Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
 folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
 quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But
 I
 always find it interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than
 just
 from those being paid to write reviews.
 Mary
 
 
 Sent from my iPhone
 
> On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:57 AM, Matthew Horspool 
> wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it
> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it
> to
> do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as,
> say,
> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I
> want
> her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear
> me
> as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're
> almost
> equal!
> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for
> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family
> environment
> I'm sure.
> Hope this helps a little bit,
> Matthew
> 
> -Original Message-
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com;
> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
> 
> Hi all,
> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the
> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a
> pair
> of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice
> stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still
> wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the
> HomePod,
> especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as
> how it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc.
> Mary
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> --
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac
> Visionaries list.
> 
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list,
> or
> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the
> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
> 
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark
> at:  mk...@ucla.edu and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara
> at
> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
> 
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
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RE: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Simon Fogarty]

Hell no not for listening to music.

From: 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
Sent: Wednesday, 21 November 2018 8:45 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
product

I guess it depends on your priorities.  I personally wouldn't trade the sound 
of the iPod for any Echo I've heard to date.
Cheers,
Donna


On Nov 20, 2018, at 12:21 PM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> wrote:

Yeah but what's the point of a smart speaker if you have to listen to 
everything else other than Apple Music via airplay? Isn't the point of having a 
smart speaker to listen to anything on it without having to do an extra step to 
listen to the thing you want? This is why I chose the Echo. I can listen to 
Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein and SiriusXM all without having to use 
airplay or Bluetooth.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com


On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:53 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> wrote:

You know, and this is just my opinion, I think people make too much of this.  
You can play anything you want on the HomePod, you just go about it 
differently.  I often play Spotify and Tune-in radio on my HomePod, you just 
have to do it by using airplay on your phone.
Cheers,
Donna




On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> wrote:

Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and that it 
can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just purchased an Echo 
Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that if you buy two of 
them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get with the HomePod.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com


On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> wrote:

I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with your 
decision!
Cheers,
Donna



On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten 
mailto:motte...@gmail.com>> wrote:

Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that in 
the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this town. 
You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. But it 
doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the HomePods. If it 
turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back to Best Buy.
Mary

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> wrote:
Mary,

If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a lot of 
personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos speakers for 
years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them since they 
implemented this practice.
Cheers,
Donna



On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty 
mailto:si...@blinky-net.com>> wrote:

Hi Mary,

Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for voice 
recognition

I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.

Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> On 
Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
product

Hi Mary,
I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.
Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well as 
Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!
Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm sure.
Hope this helps a little bit,
Matthew

-Original Message-
From: 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[lenron brown]

That's right apple gets you by over charging you anyways. So they are
not really all out for the customer either. All these companies have
an end game I suppose. I would choose Amazon or google in the smart
speaker space or even sonos. Besides you can always hook them up to a
nice surround sound system, so I am not overly stressed about the
sound they put out. If I buy a smart speaker I want it to be smart and
come at a good price. Maybe I am just thinking as someone that doesn't
come from a place of just being able to drop the big bucks.

On 11/20/18, Anders Holmberg  wrote:
> HI!
> Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
> I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
> But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
> /A
>
>> 20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown :
>>
>> If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
>> love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
>> Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.
>>
>> On 11/19/18, Mary Otten  wrote:
>>> Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
>>> folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
>>> quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But
>>> I
>>> always find it interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than
>>> just
>>> from those being paid to write reviews.
>>> Mary
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
 On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:57 AM, Matthew Horspool 
 wrote:

 Hi Mary,
 I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it
 are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
 Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the
 microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri
 accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it
 to
 do.
 Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as,
 say,
 Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I
 want
 her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear
 me
 as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're
 almost
 equal!
 Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for
 one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family
 environment
 I'm sure.
 Hope this helps a little bit,
 Matthew

 -Original Message-
 From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
 [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
 Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
 To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com;
 mac4thebl...@freelists.org
 Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

 Hi all,
 This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the
 HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a
 pair
 of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice
 stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still
 wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the
 HomePod,
 especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as
 how it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc.
 Mary


 Sent from my iPhone

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 Visit this group at
 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Anders Holmberg]

HI!
Yes i totally agree even though i don’t have the google mini.
I am thinking of the zeppelin air from B
But i saw today that apple will have some black friday event.
/A

> 20 nov. 2018 kl. 00:42 skrev lenron brown :
> 
> If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
> love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
> Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.
> 
> On 11/19/18, Mary Otten  wrote:
>> Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
>> folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
>> quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But I
>> always find it interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than just
>> from those being paid to write reviews.
>> Mary
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:57 AM, Matthew Horspool 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Mary,
>>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it
>>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the
>>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri
>>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to
>>> do.
>>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say,
>>> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want
>>> her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me
>>> as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost
>>> equal!
>>> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for
>>> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment
>>> I'm sure.
>>> Hope this helps a little bit,
>>> Matthew
>>> 
>>> -Original Message-
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
>>> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
>>> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
>>> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com;
>>> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
>>> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>>> 
>>> Hi all,
>>> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the
>>> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair
>>> of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice
>>> stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still
>>> wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod,
>>> especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as
>>> how it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc.
>>> Mary
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>> --
>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac
>>> Visionaries list.
>>> 
>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or
>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the
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>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark
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>>> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
>>> 
>>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
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>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac
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>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries]

Plus 1 to this.

Later...

Tim Kilburn
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

On Nov 20, 2018, at 13:34, John JD Denning  wrote:

As an IT professional, and someone with an IT security background, I’ll mention 
one point that for some reason seems to skate people. Your data, and your 
privacy and secured with Apple devices. It is not with either Amazon or Google. 
They have a history of flagrant disregard for their customers privacy. Well 
actually there customers are the people they sell the data to not the people 
purchase their echoes or smart speakers. So for that reason alone I am drawn 
towards Apple products. Apple sees me the end-user as a customer they don’t see 
me as the product.

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 20, 2018, at 13:47, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I guess that's a matter of preference.  You can't listen to Apple Music on 
> your Echo.  Sure, you need AirPlay to listen to Apple Music on the HomePod, 
> but you can.  Each smart speaker has its limitations due to proprietary 
> considerations.  If Amazon Music is your preference, then go with the Echo or 
> Dot, if Apple Music is your preference then go with the HomePod and if Google 
> is your preference,, then go with the Google Home.  No need to qualify the 
> speakers on those terms.  If you wish to qualify or compare on sound quality, 
> then there's stuff out there to make a point.  Other than that, I just see it 
> as an ecosystem preference.
> 
> Later...
> 
> Tim Kilburn
> Apple Teacher
> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
> 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 11:21, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
> wrote:
> 
> Yeah but what's the point of a smart speaker if you have to listen to 
> everything else other than Apple Music via airplay? Isn't the point of having 
> a smart speaker to listen to anything on it without having to do an extra 
> step to listen to the thing you want? This is why I chose the Echo. I can 
> listen to Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein and SiriusXM all without 
> having to use airplay or Bluetooth.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:53 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> You know, and this is just my opinion, I think people make too much of this. 
>>  You can play anything you want on the HomePod, you just go about it 
>> differently.  I often play Spotify and Tune-in radio on my HomePod, you just 
>> have to do it by using airplay on your phone.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and 
>>> that it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just 
>>> purchased an Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that 
>>> if you buy two of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get 
>>> with the HomePod.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Shawn,
>>> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
>>> 
>>> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
>>> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
>>> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
>>> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
 mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
 wrote:
 
 I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with 
 your decision!
 Cheers,
 Donna
 
 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten  > wrote:
> 
> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do 
> that in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here 
> in this town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all 
> the din. But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning 
> towards the HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always 
> take them back to Best Buy.
> Mary
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>  > wrote:
> 
>> Mary,
>> 
>> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a 
>> lot of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
>> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
>> since they implemented this practice.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[John JD Denning]

As an IT professional, and someone with an IT security background, I’ll mention 
one point that for some reason seems to skate people. Your data, and your 
privacy and secured with Apple devices. It is not with either Amazon or Google. 
They have a history of flagrant disregard for their customers privacy. Well 
actually there customers are the people they sell the data to not the people 
purchase their echoes or smart speakers. So for that reason alone I am drawn 
towards Apple products. Apple sees me the end-user as a customer they don’t see 
me as the product.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 13:47, 'Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I guess that's a matter of preference.  You can't listen to Apple Music on 
> your Echo.  Sure, you need AirPlay to listen to Apple Music on the HomePod, 
> but you can.  Each smart speaker has its limitations due to proprietary 
> considerations.  If Amazon Music is your preference, then go with the Echo or 
> Dot, if Apple Music is your preference then go with the HomePod and if Google 
> is your preference,, then go with the Google Home.  No need to qualify the 
> speakers on those terms.  If you wish to qualify or compare on sound quality, 
> then there's stuff out there to make a point.  Other than that, I just see it 
> as an ecosystem preference.
> 
> Later...
> 
> Tim Kilburn
> Apple Teacher
> (with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
> Fort McMurray, AB Canada
> 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 11:21, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Yeah but what's the point of a smart speaker if you have to listen to 
> everything else other than Apple Music via airplay? Isn't the point of having 
> a smart speaker to listen to anything on it without having to do an extra 
> step to listen to the thing you want? This is why I chose the Echo. I can 
> listen to Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein and SiriusXM all without 
> having to use airplay or Bluetooth.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:53 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> You know, and this is just my opinion, I think people make too much of this. 
>>  You can play anything you want on the HomePod, you just go about it 
>> differently.  I often play Spotify and Tune-in radio on my HomePod, you just 
>> have to do it by using airplay on your phone.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>>>  wrote:
>>> 
>>> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and 
>>> that it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just 
>>> purchased an Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that 
>>> if you buy two of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get 
>>> with the HomePod.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Shawn,
>>> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
>>> 
>>> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
>>> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
>>> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
>>> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
  wrote:
 
 I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with 
 your decision!
 Cheers,
 Donna
 
 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten  wrote:
> 
> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do 
> that in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here 
> in this town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all 
> the din. But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning 
> towards the HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always 
> take them back to Best Buy.
> Mary
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> Mary,
>> 
>> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a 
>> lot of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
>> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
>> since they implemented this practice.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Mary,
>>>  
>>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  
>>> for voice recognition
>>>  
>>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>>  
>>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>>  
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
>>> On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>>> Sent: 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

I guess it depends on your priorities.  I personally wouldn't trade the sound 
of the iPod for any Echo I've heard to date.
Cheers,
Donna

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 12:21 PM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Yeah but what's the point of a smart speaker if you have to listen to 
> everything else other than Apple Music via airplay? Isn't the point of having 
> a smart speaker to listen to anything on it without having to do an extra 
> step to listen to the thing you want? This is why I chose the Echo. I can 
> listen to Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein and SiriusXM all without 
> having to use airplay or Bluetooth.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:53 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> You know, and this is just my opinion, I think people make too much of this. 
>>  You can play anything you want on the HomePod, you just go about it 
>> differently.  I often play Spotify and Tune-in radio on my HomePod, you just 
>> have to do it by using airplay on your phone.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and 
>>> that it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just 
>>> purchased an Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that 
>>> if you buy two of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get 
>>> with the HomePod.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Shawn,
>>> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
>>> 
>>> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
>>> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
>>> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
>>> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
 mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
 wrote:
 
 I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with 
 your decision!
 Cheers,
 Donna
 
 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten  > wrote:
> 
> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do 
> that in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here 
> in this town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all 
> the din. But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning 
> towards the HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always 
> take them back to Best Buy.
> Mary
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>  > wrote:
> 
>> Mary,
>> 
>> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a 
>> lot of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
>> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
>> since they implemented this practice.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty >> > wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Mary,
>>>  
>>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  
>>> for voice recognition
>>>  
>>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>>  
>>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>>  
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>>  
>>> >> > On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>>> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
>>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>> 
>>> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern 
>>> Apple product
>>>  
>>> Hi Mary,
>>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
>>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
>>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
>>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it 
>>> to do.
>>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, 
>>> say, Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what 
>>> I want her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't 
>>> hear me 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Tim Kilburn' via MacVisionaries]

Hi,

I guess that's a matter of preference.  You can't listen to Apple Music on your 
Echo.  Sure, you need AirPlay to listen to Apple Music on the HomePod, but you 
can.  Each smart speaker has its limitations due to proprietary considerations. 
 If Amazon Music is your preference, then go with the Echo or Dot, if Apple 
Music is your preference then go with the HomePod and if Google is your 
preference,, then go with the Google Home.  No need to qualify the speakers on 
those terms.  If you wish to qualify or compare on sound quality, then there's 
stuff out there to make a point.  Other than that, I just see it as an 
ecosystem preference.

Later...

Tim Kilburn
Apple Teacher
(with Swift Playgrounds Recognition)
Fort McMurray, AB Canada

On Nov 20, 2018, at 11:21, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
 wrote:

Yeah but what's the point of a smart speaker if you have to listen to 
everything else other than Apple Music via airplay? Isn't the point of having a 
smart speaker to listen to anything on it without having to do an extra step to 
listen to the thing you want? This is why I chose the Echo. I can listen to 
Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein and SiriusXM all without having to use 
airplay or Bluetooth.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:53 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
> wrote:
> 
> You know, and this is just my opinion, I think people make too much of this.  
> You can play anything you want on the HomePod, you just go about it 
> differently.  I often play Spotify and Tune-in radio on my HomePod, you just 
> have to do it by using airplay on your phone.
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> 
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and that 
>> it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just purchased an 
>> Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that if you buy 
>> two of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get with the 
>> HomePod.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Shawn,
>> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
>> 
>> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
>> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
>> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
>> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with 
>>> your decision!
>>> Cheers,
>>> Donna
>>> 
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten >>> > wrote:
 
 Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
 speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that 
 in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this 
 town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. 
 But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the 
 HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back 
 to Best Buy.
 Mary
 
 
 Sent from my iPhone
 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
 mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
 wrote:
 
> Mary,
> 
> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a 
> lot of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
> since they implemented this practice.
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> 
>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty > > wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Mary,
>>  
>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  
>> for voice recognition
>>  
>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>  
>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>  
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>  
>> > > On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> 
>> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern 
>> Apple product
>>  
>> Hi Mary,
>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>> Homepod hardware is 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries]

Yeah but what's the point of a smart speaker if you have to listen to 
everything else other than Apple Music via airplay? Isn't the point of having a 
smart speaker to listen to anything on it without having to do an extra step to 
listen to the thing you want? This is why I chose the Echo. I can listen to 
Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Tunein and SiriusXM all without having to use 
airplay or Bluetooth.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:53 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> You know, and this is just my opinion, I think people make too much of this.  
> You can play anything you want on the HomePod, you just go about it 
> differently.  I often play Spotify and Tune-in radio on my HomePod, you just 
> have to do it by using airplay on your phone.
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> 
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and that 
>> it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just purchased an 
>> Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that if you buy 
>> two of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get with the 
>> HomePod.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Shawn,
>> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
>> 
>> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
>> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
>> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
>> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with 
>>> your decision!
>>> Cheers,
>>> Donna
>>> 
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten >>> > wrote:
 
 Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
 speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that 
 in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this 
 town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. 
 But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the 
 HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back 
 to Best Buy.
 Mary
 
 
 Sent from my iPhone
 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
 mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
 wrote:
 
> Mary,
> 
> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a 
> lot of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
> since they implemented this practice.
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> 
>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty > > wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Mary,
>>  
>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  
>> for voice recognition
>>  
>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>  
>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>  
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>  
>> > > On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> 
>> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern 
>> Apple product
>>  
>> Hi Mary,
>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to 
>> do.
>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, 
>> say, Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what 
>> I want her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't 
>> hear me as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say 
>> they're almost equal!
>> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for 
>> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family 
>> environment I'm sure.
>> Hope this helps a little bit,
>> Matthew
>>  
>> -Original Message-
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[John JD Denning]

For a one trick pony I do an awful lot on my HomePod. C listen to music, 
podcasts, news, use it for messaging, alarms, calendars. It’s pretty much 
always busy. Oh I forgot HomeKit control like the last thing I tell her at 
night, good night. End it make sure everything is turned off.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 11:57, 'christopher hallsworth' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> All,
> Try listening to the third generation Echo Dot. The sound quality is as good 
> as the Homepod in my opinion. Not as bassy, but far better than the previous 
> generation.
> Just my £0.02 worth.
> 
> 
>> On 20 Nov 2018, at 16:51, Mary Otten  wrote:
>> 
>> To each their own. I would never call the sound from any echo device 
>> awesome. But if it works for you, great.
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 8:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>>>  wrote:
>>> 
>>> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and 
>>> that it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just 
>>> purchased an Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that 
>>> if you buy two of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get 
>>> with the HomePod.
>>> 
>>> Regards,
>>> Shawn,
>>> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
>>> 
>>> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
>>> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
>>> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
>>> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
  wrote:
 
 I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with 
 your decision!
 Cheers,
 Donna
 
 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten  wrote:
> 
> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do 
> that in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here 
> in this town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all 
> the din. But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning 
> towards the HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always 
> take them back to Best Buy.
> Mary
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> Mary,
>> 
>> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a 
>> lot of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
>> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
>> since they implemented this practice.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Mary,
>>>  
>>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  
>>> for voice recognition
>>>  
>>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>>  
>>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>>  
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
>>> On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>>> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
>>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
>>> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern 
>>> Apple product
>>>  
>>> Hi Mary,
>>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
>>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
>>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
>>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it 
>>> to do.
>>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, 
>>> say, Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what 
>>> I want her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't 
>>> hear me as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say 
>>> they're almost equal!
>>> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for 
>>> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family 
>>> environment I'm sure.
>>> Hope this helps a little bit,
>>> Matthew
>>>  
>>> -Original Message-
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
>>> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
>>> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
>>> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
>>> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>>>  
>>> Hi all,
>>> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
>>> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['christopher hallsworth' via MacVisionaries]

All,
Try listening to the third generation Echo Dot. The sound quality is as good as 
the Homepod in my opinion. Not as bassy, but far better than the previous 
generation.
Just my £0.02 worth.


> On 20 Nov 2018, at 16:51, Mary Otten  wrote:
> 
> To each their own. I would never call the sound from any echo device awesome. 
> But if it works for you, great.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 8:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and that 
>> it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just purchased an 
>> Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that if you buy 
>> two of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get with the 
>> HomePod.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Shawn,
>> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
>> 
>> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
>> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
>> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
>> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>>  wrote:
>>> 
>>> I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with 
>>> your decision!
>>> Cheers,
>>> Donna
>>> 
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten  wrote:
 
 Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
 speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that 
 in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this 
 town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. 
 But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the 
 HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back 
 to Best Buy.
 Mary
 
 
 Sent from my iPhone
 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Mary,
> 
> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a 
> lot of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
> since they implemented this practice.
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> 
>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Mary,
>>  
>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  
>> for voice recognition
>>  
>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>  
>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>  
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
>> On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
>> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern 
>> Apple product
>>  
>> Hi Mary,
>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to 
>> do.
>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, 
>> say, Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what 
>> I want her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't 
>> hear me as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say 
>> they're almost equal!
>> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for 
>> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family 
>> environment I'm sure.
>> Hope this helps a little bit,
>> Matthew
>>  
>> -Original Message-
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
>> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
>> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
>> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
>> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>>  
>> Hi all,
>> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
>> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a 
>> pair of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a 
>> nice stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still 
>> wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, 
>> especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as 
>> how it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc. 
>> Mary
>>  
>>  
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>  
>> -- 
>> The following information is important for all 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

You know, and this is just my opinion, I think people make too much of this.  
You can play anything you want on the HomePod, you just go about it 
differently.  I often play Spotify and Tune-in radio on my HomePod, you just 
have to do it by using airplay on your phone.
Cheers,
Donna



> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and that 
> it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just purchased an 
> Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that if you buy two 
> of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get with the HomePod.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com 
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with your 
>> decision!
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten >> > wrote:
>>> 
>>> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
>>> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that 
>>> in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this 
>>> town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. 
>>> But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the 
>>> HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back to 
>>> Best Buy.
>>> Mary
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
 Mary,
 
 If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a lot 
 of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
 speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
 since they implemented this practice.
 Cheers,
 Donna
 
 
> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  > wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
>  
> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for 
> voice recognition
>  
> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>  
> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>   > On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> 
> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
> product
>  
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to 
> do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want 
> her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me 
> as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost 
> equal!
> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for 
> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment 
> I'm sure.
> Hope this helps a little bit,
> Matthew
>  
> -Original Message-
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>  
> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> ] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
> To: viph...@googlegroups.com ; 
> macvisionaries@googlegroups.com ; 
> mac4thebl...@freelists.org 
> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>  
> Hi all,
> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a 
> pair of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a 
> nice stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still 
> wonderful. I’m just 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Mary Otten]

To each their own. I would never call the sound from any echo device awesome. 
But if it works for you, great.


Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 8:39 AM, 'Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and that 
> it can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just purchased an 
> Echo Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that if you buy two 
> of them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get with the HomePod.
> 
> Regards,
> Shawn,
> Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air
> 
> Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
> Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
> Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
> Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>>  wrote:
>> 
>> I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with your 
>> decision!
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten  wrote:
>>> 
>>> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
>>> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that 
>>> in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this 
>>> town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. 
>>> But it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the 
>>> HomePods. If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back to 
>>> Best Buy.
>>> Mary
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
 On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
  wrote:
 
 Mary,
 
 If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a lot 
 of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
 speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
 since they implemented this practice.
 Cheers,
 Donna
 
 
> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
>  
> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for 
> voice recognition
>  
> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>  
> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  
> On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
> product
>  
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to 
> do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want 
> her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me 
> as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost 
> equal!
> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for 
> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment 
> I'm sure.
> Hope this helps a little bit,
> Matthew
>  
> -Original Message-
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>  
> Hi all,
> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a 
> pair of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a 
> nice stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still 
> wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, 
> especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as 
> how it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc. 
> Mary
>  
>  
> Sent from my iPhone
>  
> -- 
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac 
> Visionaries list.
>  
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or 
> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the 
> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>  
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark 
> 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Shawn Krasniuk' via MacVisionaries]

Well, if you really don't care that the HomePod is a one trick pony and that it 
can only play Apple Music, then go ahead and buy it. I just purchased an Echo 
Dot 3 and the sound quality is awesome. Plus I heard that if you buy two of 
them, you can get the same stereo quality sound you'd get with the HomePod.

Regards,
Shawn,
Sent from Sophia, the MacBook Air

Facebook Username: Shawn Krasniuk
Twitter Handle: shawnk_aka_bbs
Skype username: bbstheblindrapper
Facetime: bbssh...@icloud.com

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:16 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with your 
> decision!
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten > > wrote:
>> 
>> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
>> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that 
>> in the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this 
>> town. You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. But 
>> it doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the HomePods. 
>> If it turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back to Best Buy.
>> Mary
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Mary,
>>> 
>>> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a lot 
>>> of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos 
>>> speakers for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them 
>>> since they implemented this practice.
>>> Cheers,
>>> Donna
>>> 
>>> 
 On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty >>> > wrote:
 
 Hi Mary,
  
 Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for 
 voice recognition
  
 I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
  
 Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
  
 From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
  >>> > On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
 Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
 To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
 
 Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
 product
  
 Hi Mary,
 I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it 
 are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
 Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
 microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
 accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to 
 do.
 Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
 Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want 
 her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me 
 as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost 
 equal!
 Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for 
 one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment 
 I'm sure.
 Hope this helps a little bit,
 Matthew
  
 -Original Message-
 From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
  
 [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
 ] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
 Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
 To: viph...@googlegroups.com ; 
 macvisionaries@googlegroups.com ; 
 mac4thebl...@freelists.org 
 Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
  
 Hi all,
 This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
 HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair 
 of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice 
 stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still 
 wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, 
 especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as 
 how it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc. 
 Mary
  
  
 Sent from my iPhone
  
 -- 
 The following information is important for all members of the Mac 
 Visionaries list.
  
 If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or 
 if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the 
 owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

I have a HomePod in my home office, and really like it.  Good luck with your 
decision!
Cheers,
Donna


> On Nov 20, 2018, at 10:04 AM, Mary Otten  wrote:
> 
> Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
> speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that in 
> the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this town. 
> You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. But it 
> doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the HomePods. If 
> it turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back to Best Buy.
> Mary
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
> mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> 
> wrote:
> 
>> Mary,
>> 
>> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a lot 
>> of personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos speakers 
>> for years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them since they 
>> implemented this practice.
>> Cheers,
>> Donna
>> 
>> 
>>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty >> > wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Mary,
>>>  
>>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for 
>>> voice recognition
>>>  
>>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>>  
>>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>>  
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>>  >> > On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>>> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
>>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
>>> product
>>>  
>>> Hi Mary,
>>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
>>> basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
>>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
>>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.
>>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
>>> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want 
>>> her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as 
>>> well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!
>>> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
>>> user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm 
>>> sure.
>>> Hope this helps a little bit,
>>> Matthew
>>>  
>>> -Original Message-
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>>  
>>> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>>> ] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
>>> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
>>> To: viph...@googlegroups.com ; 
>>> macvisionaries@googlegroups.com ; 
>>> mac4thebl...@freelists.org 
>>> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>>>  
>>> Hi all,
>>> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
>>> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair 
>>> of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice 
>>> stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still 
>>> wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, 
>>> especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as how 
>>> it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc. 
>>> Mary
>>>  
>>>  
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>  
>>> -- 
>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac 
>>> Visionaries list.
>>>  
>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
>>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners 
>>> or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>>  
>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark at: 
>>>  mk...@ucla.edu  and your owner is Cara Quinn - you 
>>> can reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com 
>>>  
>>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>>> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mail-archive.com%2Fmacvisionaries%40googlegroups.com%2Fdata=02%7C01%7C%7C8f2c0044568b46843c7c08d64cf4bfc3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C636781011398130723sdata=fc45bmEKpaHsAWgsdCVncXHfPY%2BQyf15zp9IaeRvaBc%3Dreserved=0
>>>  
>>> 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Mary Otten]

Generally speaking, I am a big fan of try before you buy when it comes to 
speakers. However, the days of really nice set ups where you could do that in 
the store dedicated to stereo listening are gone, at least here in this town. 
You can go to the store and listen to speakers amidst all the din. But it 
doesn’t tell you very much. And I am really leaning towards the HomePods. If it 
turns out I don’t like them, I can always take them back to Best Buy.
Mary


Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 20, 2018, at 5:37 AM, 'Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries 
>  wrote:
> 
> Mary,
> 
> If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a lot of 
> personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos speakers for 
> years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them since they 
> implemented this practice.
> Cheers,
> Donna
> 
> 
>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Mary,
>>  
>> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for 
>> voice recognition
>>  
>> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>>  
>> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>>  
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
>> Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
>> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
>> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
>> product
>>  
>> Hi Mary,
>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
>> basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.
>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
>> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want 
>> her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as 
>> well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!
>> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
>> user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm 
>> sure.
>> Hope this helps a little bit,
>> Matthew
>>  
>> -Original Message-
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
>> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
>> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
>> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
>> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>>  
>> Hi all,
>> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
>> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair 
>> of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice 
>> stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still 
>> wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, 
>> especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as how 
>> it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc. 
>> Mary
>>  
>>  
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>  
>> -- 
>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac 
>> Visionaries list.
>>  
>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
>> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>  
>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark at:  
>> mk...@ucla.edu and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
>> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
>>  
>> The archives for this list can be searched at:
>> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mail-archive.com%2Fmacvisionaries%40googlegroups.com%2Fdata=02%7C01%7C%7C8f2c0044568b46843c7c08d64cf4bfc3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C636781011398130723sdata=fc45bmEKpaHsAWgsdCVncXHfPY%2BQyf15zp9IaeRvaBc%3Dreserved=0
>> --- 
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
>> "MacVisionaries" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
>> email tomacvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
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>> Visit this group at 
>> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fgroup%2Fmacvisionariesdata=02%7C01%7C%7C8f2c0044568b46843c7c08d64cf4bfc3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C636781011398130723sdata=qNdbqgF9CCPwEqVUwE%2F95oLL4yQQbfdTDIfpKnbDWEA%3Dreserved=0.
>> For more options, visit 
>> 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

['Donna Goodin' via MacVisionaries]

Mary,

If you consider this option, you may wish to know that Sonnos tracks a lot of 
personal information, including your IP address.  I've had Sonos speakers for 
years and really liked them, but we have stopped using them since they 
implemented this practice.
Cheers,
Donna


> On Nov 19, 2018, at 11:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
>  
> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for 
> voice recognition
>  
> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>  
> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>   > On Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
> product
>  
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
> basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
> to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well 
> as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!
> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
> user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm 
> sure.
> Hope this helps a little bit,
> Matthew
>  
> -Original Message-
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
>  
> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> ] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
> To: viph...@googlegroups.com ; 
> macvisionaries@googlegroups.com ; 
> mac4thebl...@freelists.org 
> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>  
> Hi all,
> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair of 
> those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice stereo 
> set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still wonderful. I’m 
> just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, especially as a 
> stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as how it works 
> otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc. 
> Mary
>  
>  
> Sent from my iPhone
>  
> -- 
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
> list.
>  
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>  
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark at:  
> mk...@ucla.edu  and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can 
> reach Cara at caraqu...@caraquinn.com 
>  
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mail-archive.com%2Fmacvisionaries%40googlegroups.com%2Fdata=02%7C01%7C%7C8f2c0044568b46843c7c08d64cf4bfc3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C636781011398130723sdata=fc45bmEKpaHsAWgsdCVncXHfPY%2BQyf15zp9IaeRvaBc%3Dreserved=0
>  
> 
> --- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
> "MacVisionaries" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an 
> email tomacvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com 
> .
> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> .
> Visit this group at 
> https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fgroup%2Fmacvisionariesdata=02%7C01%7C%7C8f2c0044568b46843c7c08d64cf4bfc3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435%7C1%7C0%7C636781011398130723sdata=qNdbqgF9CCPwEqVUwE%2F95oLL4yQQbfdTDIfpKnbDWEA%3Dreserved=0
>  
> 

RE: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Simon Fogarty]

Hi Mary,

I can’t confirm it but I’m pretty sure that sonos does provide a type of atmos 
sound now.

I know they do have a surround sound but can’t remember what it is called in 
their system.

Still it’s up to the user what they like when it comes to sound.
I highly recommend try before you buy in the case of speakers.

Good luck.
From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 6:54 PM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
product

Hi Simon,
No, I really haven’t thought about using Sonos. I can’t exactly say why, except 
that I am always been interested in this sort of three-dimensional sound that 
you supposedly got from the HomePod. I don’t think Sonos offers that.
Mary

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 19, 2018, at 9:37 PM, Simon Fogarty 
mailto:si...@blinky-net.com>> wrote:
Hi Mary,

Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for voice 
recognition

I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.

Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com>> On 
Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
product


Hi Mary,

I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:

Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.

Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well as 
Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!

Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm sure.

Hope this helps a little bit,

Matthew



-Original Message-
From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
[mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
To: viph...@googlegroups.com; 
macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
mac4thebl...@freelists.org
Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product



Hi all,

This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the HomePod 
speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair of those in 
an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice stereo set up, but 
it’s rather old, although the speakers are still wonderful. I’m just curious 
what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, especially as a stereo pair in a 
moderate sized living room, as well as how it works otherwise. Siri, phone 
calls, etc.

Mary





Sent from my iPhone



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For 

Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Mary Otten]

Hi Simon,
No, I really haven’t thought about using Sonos. I can’t exactly say why, except 
that I am always been interested in this sort of three-dimensional sound that 
you supposedly got from the HomePod. I don’t think Sonos offers that.
Mary


Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 19, 2018, at 9:37 PM, Simon Fogarty  wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
>  
> Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for 
> voice recognition
>  
> I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.
>  
> Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.
>  
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
> Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
> Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
> product
>  
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
> basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
> to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well 
> as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!
> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
> user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm 
> sure.
> Hope this helps a little bit,
> Matthew
>  
> -Original Message-
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>  
> Hi all,
> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair of 
> those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice stereo 
> set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still wonderful. I’m 
> just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, especially as a 
> stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as how it works 
> otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc.
> Mary
>  
>  
> Sent from my iPhone
>  
> --
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
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RE: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Simon Fogarty]

Hi Mary,

Have you thought about trying the sonos products which now use alexa  for voice 
recognition

I find the sonos devices excellent for both useage and sound quality.

Mind you we don’t have the home pods here in NZ so I can’t compare.

From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com  On 
Behalf Of Matthew Horspool
Sent: Tuesday, 20 November 2018 1:58 AM
To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
Subject: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple 
product


Hi Mary,

I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:

Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.

Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well as 
Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!

Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm sure.

Hope this helps a little bit,

Matthew



-Original Message-
From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
[mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
To: viph...@googlegroups.com; 
macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
mac4thebl...@freelists.org
Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product



Hi all,

This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the HomePod 
speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair of those in 
an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice stereo set up, but 
it’s rather old, although the speakers are still wonderful. I’m just curious 
what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, especially as a stereo pair in a 
moderate sized living room, as well as how it works otherwise. Siri, phone 
calls, etc.

Mary





Sent from my iPhone



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Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[lenron brown]

If Siri was as good as the others then it would be worth it maybe. I
love my little dot and now I want a google home mini. if apple soled a
Mini with a fair price it might be worth looking at.

On 11/19/18, Mary Otten  wrote:
> Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the
> folks doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the
> quality of the hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But I
> always find it interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than just
> from those being paid to write reviews.
> Mary
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:57 AM, Matthew Horspool 
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Mary,
>> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it
>> are basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
>> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the
>> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri
>> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to
>> do.
>> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say,
>> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want
>> her to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me
>> as well as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost
>> equal!
>> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for
>> one user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment
>> I'm sure.
>> Hope this helps a little bit,
>> Matthew
>>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
>> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
>> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
>> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com;
>> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
>> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>>
>> Hi all,
>> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the
>> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair
>> of those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice
>> stereo set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still
>> wonderful. I’m just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod,
>> especially as a stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as
>> how it works otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc.
>> Mary
>>
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> --
>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac
>> Visionaries list.
>>
>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or
>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the
>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>>
>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark
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>> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
>>
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Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Mary Otten]

Thanks for the reply’s. I have read some reviews on the HomePod. And the folks 
doing reviewing seemed of the same general opinion regarding the quality of the 
hardware and that Siri lags behind in some respects. But I always find it 
interesting to get reviews from real people, rather than just from those being 
paid to write reviews.
Mary


Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:57 AM, Matthew Horspool  wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
> basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
> to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well 
> as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!
> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
> user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm 
> sure.
> Hope this helps a little bit,
> Matthew
>  
> -Original Message-
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>  
> Hi all,
> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair of 
> those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice stereo 
> set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still wonderful. I’m 
> just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, especially as a 
> stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as how it works 
> otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc.
> Mary
>  
>  
> Sent from my iPhone
>  
> --
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
> list.
>  
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
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> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
>  
> The archives for this list can be searched at:
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Re: Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[John JD Denning]

Good morning, I have one HomePod, and plan to get two more this Friday. Best 
Buy is going to have them for $100 off.

I agree with everything said above about the HomePod. But all I had one other 
item. Security, you can rest assured your data and privacy are protected with 
the Apple environment. The other platforms cannot say that. Well they like to 
say it, but history has shown your privacy is of little importance to them.

I also use the HomePod as my home kit hub. I control lights and motion sensors 
throughout my house. And Addmore things as time and budget permits.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 19, 2018, at 07:57, Matthew Horspool  wrote:
> 
> Hi Mary,
> I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
> basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:
> Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
> microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
> accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.
> Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
> Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
> to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well 
> as Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!
> Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
> user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm 
> sure.
> Hope this helps a little bit,
> Matthew
>  
> -Original Message-
> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com 
> [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mary Otten
> Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
> To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
> mac4thebl...@freelists.org
> Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product
>  
> Hi all,
> This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the 
> HomePod speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair of 
> those in an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice stereo 
> set up, but it’s rather old, although the speakers are still wonderful. I’m 
> just curious what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, especially as a 
> stereo pair in a moderate sized living room, as well as how it works 
> otherwise. Siri, phone calls, etc.
> Mary
>  
>  
> Sent from my iPhone
>  
> --
> The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries 
> list.
>  
> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if 
> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or 
> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself.
>  
> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor.  You can reach mark at:  
> mk...@ucla.edu and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at 
> caraqu...@caraquinn.com
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Homepod, was Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product

[Matthew Horspool]

Hi Mary,

I have a Homepod. I will probably get another. But my impressions of it are 
basically the same as all the reviews you'll find if you Google it:

Homepod hardware is absolutely second to none. Sound is fantastic, the 
microphones can hear me speaking at normal volume from miles away. Siri 
accuracy is near 100% in terms of it correctly hearing what I want it to do.

Homepod software is steadily improving, but still not as capable as, say, 
Google Assistant. There are still many times where Siri knows what I want her 
to do, but can't actually do it. Saying that, Google doesn't hear me as well as 
Siri does, so in terms of time wasted, I'd say they're almost equal!

Phone calls, messages, calendars, reminders work well now, but only for one 
user, which will be a significant shortcoming in a family environment I'm sure.

Hope this helps a little bit,

Matthew



-Original Message-
From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com [mailto:macvisionaries@googlegroups.com] 
On Behalf Of Mary Otten
Sent: 18 November 2018 01:26
To: viph...@googlegroups.com; macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; 
mac4thebl...@freelists.org
Subject: Not sure if this is off-topic it does concern Apple product



Hi all,

This coming Black Friday, there’s going to be a serious discount on the HomePod 
speaker from Apple at Best Buy. I am thinking about getting a pair of those in 
an effort for overall down sizing. I have currently a nice stereo set up, but 
it’s rather old, although the speakers are still wonderful. I’m just curious 
what peoples impressions are of the HomePod, especially as a stereo pair in a 
moderate sized living room, as well as how it works otherwise. Siri, phone 
calls, etc.

Mary





Sent from my iPhone



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