Amazon Echo Dot....

[jdk972003]

this opens ALL kinds of doors at a much better price.
 
It has AUDIO out!!!!!
 
Introducing Echo Dot
 
Echo Dot uses the same far-field voice recognition as Echo and is a convenient addition to any room of the house. Directly connect Echo Dot to speakers with an audio cable or via Bluetooth, and add voice-control to your home stereo system. With its built-in speaker, you can place Dot in the bedroom and use it as a smart alarm clock that can also turn off your lights, or use Dot in the kitchen to easily set timers and add items to your shopping list using just your voice. Learn more about Echo Dot.

Echo Dot is available for $89.99 in limited quantities exclusively for Prime members through Alexa Voice Shopping. Limit 1 per order, 2 per customer. To order your Echo Dot, just ask:
 
 
Prime members only, have to be ordered from Alexa.

 

[wkearney99]

I ordered two each; Dot and Tap.
 
Plan on letting the wife use one of the Tap in her office (at work).  The other I'll probably take to the boat.  In both situations I'd rather have touch-to-talk control.  
 
One of the Dots will go in the theater, the other will go in the rec room.  I'd order a few more, if just to re-sell on fleabay at a markup...

 

[jkmonroe]

im really hoping that the Tap will operate as a traditional Echo (no Tap) when plugged into its cradle.  

 

[ano]

Hmmm, excuse me for being dumb, but what can an Amazon Dot do that an Echo can't do, except that it has an audio out jack?  Is that it or am I missing something? 

 

[jdk972003]

Ano,
 
Your not missing anything.  Smaller device with audio out.
 
But it does it at less than half the price.  My guess is they had a waiting market, everyone with a Sonos system.
 
The real question will be the quality of the analog streams on the output.
 
I bought two as well.  No tap though..going to wait on that one.

 

[pete_c]

So then the Tap is a portable Amazon Echo and the Dot has an Amazon Echo remote audio / bluetooth set up.

 

[IVB]

Dot also has a smaller form factor. I can put a dot in places that I don't need a speaker (ie most rooms have in-ceiling), and its not nearly as obtrusive.
 
Plus for those of us who despise the sound quality of the Echo, we can get way better speakers. I have one room with no in-ceiling speakers where i'd like to listen to decent quality music. I can get a dot for that room, wire to a decent speaker, and have the best of both worlds.

 

[jkmonroe]

still sitting here on my couch, listening to the Echo.  
 
with a Sonos HT setup 15 feet away, and another Sonos Play:1 about 10 feet away.  the Echo is just too easy.

 

[upstatemike]

I could see the Dot being used as the local source in each room of a Russound whole-house audio system.
 
I wonder if I can set up my phone as a hotspot so that a Tap can use it both for a Bluetooth music source and as an Internet connection to support the Alexa functions?

 

[Bzncrewjr]

The Dot seems like an Echo without the big speaker and an external audio jack.  And, cheaper.   I could see putting one in every major room.  Too bad Amazon limits to 2 per.
 
The Tap, if the sound is as good as the echo, will give those expensive blue tooth speakers some competition.  A Smart speaker.  Connect it to phone hotspot and you have full Echo functionality.  

 

[JonW]

Too bad Amazon limits to 2 per.

 
Also too bad Amazon won't let you order the Dot unless you have an Echo.   :angry2:
(Ordering limited to using Alexa).
 
 
Edit:  Woohoo!   Found a way to order it via the iOS Amazon app!
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-order-an-amazon-echo-dot-without-an-amazon-echo/

 

[wkearney99]

Pre-ordering often comes with limits, c'est la vie.  
 
Upside is all it took to order a second one was to use the 'Buy again' link on the My Orders webpage.  I went right back into the app and turned off voice purchasing.  

 

[wuench]

I think the dot is the same as the echo, with smaller speaker, audio out and bluetooth (out vs in?).   All the echos are independent, so I don't see a way you could hook one up to your whole home audio and it work with the others.  If you ask an echo to play music today does it play on all of them or just the one you asked?   I only have one Echo now, but my guess is the Dot wouldn't operate any differently...
  
It's great they are producing cheaper hardware, but we really need API control.  API control of the music functions (or if they all play at the same time)  and an API for TTS would allow me to get rid of my Sonos.

 

[ano]

I think the dot is the same as the echo, with smaller speaker, audio out and bluetooth (out vs in?).   All the echos are independent, so I don't see a way you could hook one up to your whole home audio and it work with the others.  If you ask an echo to play music today does it play on all of them or just the one you asked?   I only have one Echo now, but my guess is the Dot wouldn't operate any differently...
  
It's great they are producing cheaper hardware, but we really need API control.  API control of the music functions (or if they all play at the same time)  and an API for TTS would allow me to get rid of my Sonos.

Have you joined Amazon's developers program?  http://developer.amazon.com/public/apis
I'm not an expert on it, but it does seem they offer some of this.

 

[IVB]

you mean like a Sonos group, where audio across devices is sync'ed? I haven't seen that. Its one of the main reasons I think i'll have 1 sonos per zone, with a smattering of dots & echos throughout the house to access it. I could put an Echo where I don't mind gawd-awful sound quality (2 rooms), dots in rest but in-ceiling speakers(6 zones, 11 rooms).  i'll likely only line-out to the H/T though.
 
Echo/Dot is not also able to speak unless spoken to, so TTS is a non-starter.
 
Dunno, we'll see what I settle on once I get my dot, plus we'll see how Amazon expands in the future.