So a bit of context, I have been using Google Apps (free legacy domain) for all things Google. Has anyone here used either the Google Home or Amazon Echo with a Google Apps domain.
I’ve heard there are issues… So trying to do done research before investing in one…
Thanks in advance…
Echo dot, much more stuff supports it and overall I’d trust Amazon more than I trust G when it comes to an always-listening device in the house.
I’m afraid if you are concerned about privacy you might want to wait for the HomePod. Otherwise in terms of adoption I think Amazon’s echo is much more widespread in the U.K. so I’m assuming it will be better supported and have more features at the moment.
I was waiting for HomePod until I read that it will pass off Siri to iPhone etc
Both are pretty basic in current form - I picked up a dot in a deal for £20 and at that price I’m happyish with it - However the only thing I use it off is to turn music on and off.
If you use Google for everything I would 100% recommend Google Home. I was in the same boat as you and stayed out with an echo Dot (it was a gift) and being completely excluded from the ecosystem I’ve been using for years was a nightmare.
I’ve found overall the reliability and ability of the Google home is much better.
Although I do use everything Google, as mentioned before, I use them from a Google Apps Domain which seems to have some restrictions
Having used both Amazon Echo and Google Home side-by-side for the past 7 months, I’d recommend Google’s offering. They’re both infuriating at times but Google’s Assistant is a bit less stupid. Both support all my IoT devices. The real killer though is if you use an Android phone. If so, then Google really leaps out ahead due to your phone essentially becoming a second Google Assistant device.
I am in the market for either one of these devices. I use an android phone. Can you just expand on your point please. What do you mean? How will my phone become a second home assistant?? Cheers
I have :
The Google devices are about a million times superior. They answer more questions correctly, support multiple voice profiles, the Home Mini has a much better speaker than the Dot, and you don’t have to manually enable third party services one-by-one.
I hate Alexa now, keeps adding all my Hue bulbs and messing everything up and if I say turn on bedroom light it has added it twice so does not do it
From what I have read I have a vague idea that it won’t work with Google Apps. May be worth a bit of research before you buy…
My interpretation of what Apple has said is that HomePod will pass SiriKit commands to an associated iOS Device. SiriKit commands are those that incorporate third party apps. They have to be handed off to a device because the apps simply aren’t on the HomePod. Messages also have to be handed off because the iMessage account wont be setup on the HomePod. I cant see things like weather, show times, sport, or general questions being handed off as they don’t require any specific information about the person.
As time progresses, we’ll see software updates that improve the functionality of HomePod, much like we saw with Apple Watch. I would love a HomePod, but am going to wait for the 2nd or 3rd Generation.
I do have an Amazon Echo and have been very impressed by it. She has been acting up a little bit lately, claiming to not know my lights when they’re called the same as they always have been - but I think that’s just a glitch.
I recently bought the Sonos One. Don’t make the same mistake. It is terrible in it’s current state. The speaker itself is incredible for its size - but the Alexa integration is just awful. It’s over sensitive too. I was watching Modern Family on my iPad yesterday in bed, and whenever anyone said ‘Alex’, my Sonos woke up 
I have no experience of Google Home 
TLDR; HomePod will get better over time, wait for Gen 2 or 3. Echo is fab, Sonos One is crap rn.
For instance I can say “Hey Google, turn off bedroom lights” at my Google Home or at my phone and it’ll do the same stuff.
Aye, it doesn’t integrate fully into a GSuite account. I’ve switched from a GSuite account back to a standard account after getting my Google Home(s). The majority of things are fine, however the kicker was that it couldn’t access your calendar, so it couldn’t tell you what you had on for the day when asked.
I believe the other thing was email integration, but i’ve never tried to get it to read my emails, so I am not sure. I can confirm the calendar issue though on Google Home. Ironically I read that Echo can access your GSuite calendar, but you may want to confirm that yourself.
yeh this is the issue i heard about… just trying to work out if there anything that can be done to circumvent that, maybe sharing my GSuite calendar to a normal google account??
That’s maybe one way, but then you would be stuck using that non GSuite account on the home.
Baffles me why they have that rule, and they don’t particularly seem interested in sorting it any time soon. I’m sure they cite the reason being security or something. But then , apparently your echo can access it (and google assistant on your phone too, from what I can remember?)
It is frustrating… it should really be quite simple
So I am at SAP TechEd in Barcelona and been playing with some IOT stuff here with amazon alexa, thinking I might go down that route
Amazon really pushed the Alexa at last years hackathon circles. I think they’ve given up this year (although they still seem to be manifesting as prizes).