Alexa App for Windows 10 Now Available
Today Amazon announced that any compatible Windows 10 device can now tap and talk to Alexa with a new app available in the Windows store. The app is available to Windows 10 users in the US, UK and Germany. Previously, only select PCs came preinstalled with the Alexa feature. Now, it is available on any Windows PC device which uses the device’s microphone and speakers to talk to Alexa. Users have access to the 50,000 third-party skills available on Alexa as well as the ability to control smart home devices, set reminders, timers, alarms and create shopping lists. The one glaring omission in the app’s functionality however is the lack of support for Spotify and Pandora. Users cannot yet access those features with Alexa on their PC.
Not Quite Hands-Free but a New Audience for Alexa
While it gives more consumers access to Alexa through Windows devices, the app isn’t exactly handsfree. Users still have to tap a button within the app to invoke Alexa and then say the command. One tap versus several to access a specific event in their calendar or to play a song through Amazon Music however could save time and make the Alexa app a valuable one to PC users.
The real story though is that it gives significantly broadens the potential audience for Alexa. Unlike Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri which already had a built-in user base with Android OS and iOS, Amazon Alexa had to start from scratch with Echo devices. The ability to give millions of PC users access to Alexa, even if it is not exactly hands-free is a win for Amazon and Alexa.
More Alexa Windows 10 App Details Revealed. Why Its Important for Amazon.
