My mom loves it. It introduced her to the idea of unlimited free music(prime music) since she didn't care to figure out the others The other big thing, even with a phone it needs to be out. Until recently hey Siri wasn't a thing. Cooking timers are really convenient - my phone gets covered in flour.

The echo is always in the same exact spot, so there's no hunting for it, never a need for hands. It just works

Lights are still a gimmick.