PRICE £200 (£240 inc VAT) from amazon.co.uk
What a brilliant idea the Echo Show 15 is. Where the previous Echo Show devices have been tabletop affairs, the Show 15 is at its best hanging on a wall - next to the fridge, perhaps, as Amazon hopes it will become the fulcrum of family life. You can buy the optional stand (£35) and sit it on your desk like a traditional Echo Show, but that feels like a waste of its talents.
So, where to put it? Amazon's advice is to keep the Show 15 at eye level. It comes with a mounting template (a posh word for a piece of paper with the Show's outline on it) and, once you work out your preferred area, you drill holes and mount it. All the wall plugs and screws come provided.
When it comes to software setup, the only variation from the usual Echo routine is that you're asked which images you'd like to display, with choices such as an Amazon photo album, abstract shapes, and art. Aside from entering your Amazon account details and Wi-Fi password, that's it; the Echo Show 15 will download an update (around ten minutes in my case) and then await your instructions.
You've been framed
This gives you time to admire the Echo Show 15's design. It's essentially a picture frame that's been pumped with steroids, with inch-thick white surrounds and a chunky frame. But where there would normally be a print, this frame contains a 15.6in the touch-sensitive panel.
The Show 15 measures 35mm from back to front, with a beveled edge that holds speakers on the left and right side (or top and bottom if you mount it vertically). That means it juts out from the wall a good inch further than any picture frames it may sit near, and unless you have a white painted wall you'll also notice the thin cable that connects to a plug.
This story is from the April 2022 edition of PC Pro.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2022 edition of PC Pro.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Robobutlers may never happen, but robot care workers are on their way
Do you hate loading the dishwasher enough to pay someone to do it remotely? Nicole Kobie wonders about the weird future of home robots
Technical debt
Cutting corners now means more work down the road - but Steve Cassidy asks whether that's always a bad thing
Zyxel ZyWALL ATP500
Zyxel delivers tough gateway security and advanced threat protection at a very appealing price
CREATIVE WORKSTATIONS
Intel and AMD both offer compelling CPU choices for workstations, giving us ten machines with the widest variety of specifications we've seen for years
ANDROID PHONES FROM £219
As this roundup of four affordable contenders shows, there's no need to spend a fortune on a phone
Amazon Echo Pop
If you want a compact Alexa smart speaker, the Pop is now the cheapest choice - but what does it really add?
Getac X600
A powerful alternative to the Panasonic Toughbook 40, with the bonus of optional Nvidia graphics
Amazon Fire Max 11
With its 2K screen and sleek design, this is Amazon's best tablet yet-but FireOS remains a hindrance
Google Pixel Fold
The Pixel Fold delivers with a thin and durable design, a wide front display, smart software and great cameras
Welcome to the Fediverse
Have commercial social networks had their day? Darien Graham-Smith looks at the free, community-run apps that could usurp Twitter, Reddit and the Meta empire