echodotAfter having thought on it for awhile — I finally ordered an Echo Dot this week, and it arrived on my doorstep yesterday.

Why’d I bite the bullet, even though my gut is the only thing I’ll actually use Alexa for is to play music?

The Echo Dot is only $50, so it’s not a huge investment. Beyond that, as a product person — I want to understand the fuss about Alexa and have a good grasp on consumer behavior based on first hand experience, rather than relying on what my friends tell me.

For the strategic thinkers: It’s clear Amazon is trying to outmaneuver Apple’s Home platform (which I last wrote about in October) to be the operating system of millions of homes around the world; here’s a good read on Stratechery by Ben Thompson.