I should probably stick with free software and non-DRM content.
Having said a that, I do use the Echo Dot to do hands free timers (like when I'm cooking), calculations in general and for cooking ("Alexa how many tablespoons are in a quarter cup"), look up definitions of words (while I'm sitting on the couch reading a book), and my kids ask it how to spell things. (The only reason I have one is I got it for free at AWS re:Invent conference.)
I also notice my new microwave sits there and keeps chirping at me after heating food until I open the door, it's not as loud and as insistent as the washing machine, but still totally unnecessary behaviour.
A more sensitive soul could eventually be driven bonkers if every flippin' thing in your house and car beeped and booped at you every minute of the day.
I think once you've spent enough time submerged in technology, you start to appreciate the simpler things in life. A smart washing machine or microwave isn't one of them.
For me, these smart hubs won't be particularly useful until I can combine a bunch of functionality into one thing. I have the heating set to come on in the morning, but our morning schedule is irregular so I have to adjust it most evenings to come on a bit before we wake. Then I set the lights to come on, as I find it easier to get up when it's light, and set an alarm. What I want is just to say "wake me up at 5:30 tomorrow" and have all that just work.
The individual things (alarm, light and heating) are all individually beneficial though, despite the evenings faff. This is also only a minor problem too, these are not daily herculean tasks I barely make it through, but it's still a level of hassle I'd like to smooth over.
You can still make things simple and easy. What we are seeing is a complete lack of trying. Probably because those companies just love to have an always listening microphone inside your home, 1984 style.
Simple and usable is still possible, but you have to do your homework.
The downside was that it had a lot of buttons, 90% of which you don't use. It also tended to get lost a lot. And we didn't have Netflix, so either we'd have to use video tapes (which was cool, insert and hit play), or DVDs (which were a bit less usable, they usually had unskippable warnings, trailers, and some weird menu you had to get through before playing the movie / TV show). Or just watch what was on TV at the time, which worked just fine for us because we'd eat and go to bed at set times.
My tl;dr point is that things just used to be simpler and more usable. I don't like having to use an app to start stuff. I don't like the four remotes I have lying around atm either (TV, set-top box for digital television, one for the soundbar (idk why it's that big), and either a controller for the ps4 or for the apple TV. The latter two kinda fulfill the same role though, as a netflix machine.