The HomeView and Echo Show 16 could be the family computers I’ve been asking for

Three years ago, I wrote an obituary for the smart display. The category - smart speakers with touchscreens attached - was stuck with a few underpowered gadgets from Google and Amazon that tried to do too much and did too little well. Back then, I also laid out what they needed to do to improve. This month, Apple and Amazon launched new smart displays that check nearly every box on that list. Based on my brief hands-on time with Apple's first smart display, the $299 HomeView, and Amazon's $499.

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