Amazon unveils the Echo Tap and Echo Dot

Amazon has just sent out email about two new devices in the Echo line, the Amazon Tap and the Amazon Dot. Both are variations on the original Echo design, but offer some nice variety.

The Echo Tap is roughly the original Echo, but cordless and portable. You can take it from room to room or if you have a WiFi hotspot, even further. The Tap isn’t always on and listening for the “Alexa” keyword, so you have to push a button for it to respond. That doesn’t seem a problem and was done to save battery life.

The other is the Echo Dot which looks like a little hockey puck. It’s the brains of Alexa without the big speaker. It can still play music, but it’s meant more for answering questions and looking up information that streaming music. It can make up for this with its Audio Out so you can hook up external speakers.

I’ve already ordered the Tap, which will be great during the summer to move music from room to room and out onto the deck. It also means the Tap isn’t in a fixed position like the original Echo.

I’m tempted to buy the Dot as well. The Dot would replace the Echo as an alarm clock and weather gadget. The Echo could then relocate to the office and the Tap would roam around the house bringing joy and happiness wherever it landed.

About the only thing I’m not excited about is the initial price. It’s a good price, but unlike when the Echo first came out, there isn’t a discount for early adopters. The Echo was unproven technology back and had a limited feature set. This new generation is all grown up.

A minor grievance. The funny thing is, you can only order the Dot using the Echo. That will give me some time to decide if I should get one. I already know the answer is I will, but it makes me feel like I’m really struggling with the idea.