Today's Special Value

[Mz iMac]

Can you use the Echo and/or does it work if you do not have an Amazon account?

I did a Google search & could not find a very clear answer.  One site stated that you need an Amazon acct to register Echo.  That's it.

Also checked the Q website.  No mention either way.  Not even in the "Important Info" section.

Been listening to Rick & the vendor for 45 minutes & not one word if you need an Amazon acct or not. 

[granny me]

I don't know if this is true, but can these devices listen in? I read an article about smart TV being capable. I am not a techie person, but I just wonder.

[libbyannE]

I still do not understand what this is and how it works. Do you connect it to the computer it IS it a computer? How does it play my CDs? If I orally tell it to put something on a grocery list, how do I get the list OUT of it? Nothing is explained in the presentations. They talk around all the most basic questions! 

[Kachina624 · Accepted solution]

It is not a computer; it's a Bluetooth speaker with a voice recognition system.  You wouldn't need an Amazon Prime account but you would need the ordinary free account a customer would use to make a purchase.  You have to download the Echo app from Amazon to set it up.  It plays music from what you've got loaded on your pad or computer.  Regarding the grocery list, I've never used that but I'd probably have it recite the list while I wrote it.  It may be retrievable on your computer or pad and could be printed.  I don't have a printer.

I don't use mine to its full capability.  I use it mostly to check the weather, temperature and to get miscellaneous information like the distance between two cities.  Also use the timer.

The speaker is excellent quality, comparable to a Bose radio.

[Kachina624]

From the Echo ad on Amazon.

• Plays all your music from Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more using just your voice
• Fills the room with immersive, 360º omni-directional audio
• Allows hands-free convenience with voice-control
• Hears you from across the room with far-field voice recognition, even while music is playing
• Answers questions, reads audiobooks and the news, reports traffic and weather, gives info on local businesses, provides sports scores and schedules, and more using the Alexa Voice Service
• Controls lights, switches, and thermostats with compatible WeMo, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Wink, Insteon, Nest, and ecobee smart home devices
• Always getting smarter and adding new features, plus thousands of skills like Uber, Domino's, and more

[wishmoon]

I receive an email every Friday telling me new things the Echo can do. To be honest, I don't use it fully either.

[millieshops]

I don't use anything much to its fullest capability.  Probably my coffee pots come the cloest to full use, but not the TV and its remote, certainly not even this old laptop I'm using right now, definitely not my smartphone , and --  but you get it, I bet.

All I know is that if a new gadget has features I will use and I can afford to buy it and use it, it's okay to own one more thing I won't use to its best because if I waited for that, I'd never buy anything new.

But I'm not buying an Echo today!

[BalletBabe]

I love this.  I use it for everything.  I Use it for grocery items.  Tell her what to put on your list and it goes right to your phone.   This works great for me since I always forget my list at home.   The thing I like best is the ask my buddy  feature.  I have 5 emergency contacts in it.  Since  live alone, all I have to say contact so in so.  It send them a tect and a email telling them they need to get in contact with you.   I also purchased the hand held remote.  THat way I can take it to bathroom if I fall, or talk to it fom a different room.  I also have a tap, but I woud have preferred two of these instead of the tap.  The tap is nice since it is portable.  You have to push the mic everytime you want to talk to it and that I don't like.   You can also get the app from the itunes store for your iphone and i pad.  It has bad reviews but I have never had an issue with it.  

[Caaareful Shopper]

I've had mine since May and I love it.  ❤️

My main & nearly daily uses:

• play my audiobooks from my Audible account
• weather and traffic for my commute
• shopping list -- the best thing about this for me is that my son moved back in with me.  We have totally different working hours, so he can add his suggestions to my shopping list automatically without me going back & forth between texts and my shopping list on my phone.
• play music from Pandora (I don't want Amazon Prime) -- it has exceptional sound!
• CNN (or any outlet) news & sports highlights
• thesaurus 
• as a timer for my workouts
• recipe ideas
• It gets smarter and smarter and can answer more questions each month.

[NanaLinda]

@granny me, before the Echo will listen to conversation, you have to say her name (Alexa) to get her attention.  Hope this helps.