I was given an Echo Dot for Christmas. I think that the concept is admirable - but I do find it difficult to find useful tasks for Alexa to do. She does, however, sit on my kitchen worktop and clearly listens to the radio because occasionally she goes into a sort of blue funk.
I did hear a story about a family who were watching University Challenge and were surprised by Alexa suddenly announcing that she did not know the answer to one of the questions.
I am already finding it useful for playing the radio. I have a radio/CD/cassette player with two speakers (so you can tell how old it is!) up on a shelf to my left, but I gave up trying to remember which button to press on the remote andit was such a palaver trying to sort out which button anyway. Now I can say, Alexa, play BBC Radio 3 and can have that playing while at the same time using my headphones on the computer listening to the screen reader. People used to tell me that the computer would play music and, yes, I realised that but I'm always using the sound for the voice.
When the son who gave it to me gets back (he's away skiing at the moment), I hope he will be able to work out which subscription will enable me to listen to some of the CD music I have and which I also gave up trying to play quite a while ago.
My other son is in Australia at the moment - acgtually he has been visiting Port Lincoln with friends where I spent 1986, so I can ask Alexa what the weather is there! I can of course do this on the computer, but it's easier just asking!
