Electronics

[Alison Wonderland]

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@Ainhisg wrote:

@Alison Wonderland, you are my new best friend.  lol  That is the kind of detail I needed; thank you!  Do you think the $85 price is a good deal?

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I think so, @Ainhisg, especially if you're just starting out and want to get your feet wet before you spend more. You can even start with a cheaper Dot, which does everything the larger Echoes do BUT it does not have powerul speakers. It's not good for listening to music, audiobooks, or the radio and the volume isn't very loud, but it's a good Starter device if you just want to see how much use you might get out of an Echo before you spend more money.

If you think you want to automate your other items, like lightbulbs, I would get the Echo Plus over the Echo. Most bulbs need a hub, so if you get a cheaper Echo now, you may have to invest more in a Hub later and hubs are just one more thing to deal with. The hub built into the Plus is an advantage later if you want to be able to use the Echo for more. If you have NO interest in lighting and other peripherals, you don't need to worry about a hub. (The Nest thermostat I have does not use a hub.)

Philips Hue bulbs are not cheap, but Ikea has just come out with some similar bulbs that I'm hoping will bring all the prices down. They can also use the Echo Plus hub instead of using a separate Ikea hub.

[Nuttmeg]

I would buy a new Echo. I have had my unit for a long time.I like that the unis are plug un. If you are worried about your network. You need. A stronger password.

[VaBelle35]

I'm a fan of reburbished units from TiVo, iPod/Apple and Amazon.

I've purchased new and they stand behind their products, even after warranty.  As a result, I've purchased refurbished from all of them and never had a problem.

[Deb665]

@ValuSkr  Siri might be able to do more than I realize, but for streaming my music, controlling my few smart plugs and listening to audio books I just got hooked on Alexa.  Not a very good answer, but it’s the only one I have!  😀

[lainey1]

If you can wait, the Echos go on sale on Prime Day which is sometime in July. 

You might be able to get a new Echo for a pretty good price.