Indeed.
Presence and Push Notifications being simplified (i.e. integrated into the HE platform without needing third parties) would be probably the biggest immediate benefit for expanding the appeal and simplicity for the less technically minded.
Extra control features after that would be a bonus, but I'm not sweating them really.
Lol actually, no. I don't use any of the cloud features. I have them as shut off as I can and my hub is buried in my network. I barely even use the local dashboards.
With that said, I do still have to use some cloud services, but I'm always looking for local alternatives.
Just being honest here I understand both points of views and i’m Not taking sides here, but Hubitat won’t stay a float if only tinkerers purchase the hub.
My wife loves tech like me but not if it’s going to be a part time job. We already have full time jobs and no one wants to work a ten hour day and come home and have to figure out how to build a dashboard. And just keeping it real I’ve tried the dash board thing and I can’t stand it I need an app plain and simple as it stands now the only way I can control my hub is to use teamviewer log into an always on Mac and use a web browser I’m dealing with it for now but I know small company’s that have 3 employees that have working iOS and android apps for there small businesses.
So I’m in the camp that’s says HE Needs an app sooner then later.
But you recognize that is a CHOICE you made - you have alternatives to that TODAY that are built-in to the system - dashboards. It takes <2 minutes to make a couple dashboards if all you want is a blob of HE devices for remote control.
Even after the app comes, it would still be MUCH more efficient to have a dashboard versus scrolling through the list of Devices, clicking one to go to details, and then manipulating.
It might be nice to know exactly what an app is going to buy us. I seem to recall it being said that the app will NOT allow administration, that always has to be done locally.
Right now I am fine with no app; I use the cloud dashboards I created when I need to view status or control devices.
My wants from an app (which BTW I still hope will be a progressive web app and not native apps) are something that will enclose the dashboards I have created and maybe make them scale better (I would rather not have 2 copies of each dashboard, one for PC and one for phone), more notifications than just 10 per day, and presence.
I’m not really sure how everyone here’s house hold works but in my household, I was given good advise by my grandfather when I got married he said save the big fights for your most important things meaning in my house everything has to be wife approved, and the dashboard thing has been tried and SHE DOES NOT approve.
I had 2 tablets I was using for control as well as trying to use our cells the dashboards just didn’t work they way she wanted and they were to hard for up keep and she couldn’t control from outside the house and she didn’t like the webpage BS her words not mines. Like I said she loves the fact that everything runs local she hates the cloud as well but as I am asked errrrrrr other day any word on that app yet.
So I have to think of just not myself in my house but the wife and kids and they need an app.
And also the dashboards are god awful ugly.
Perhaps try updating?
Weird. To me they have come a long way since the first release. They still have a few little glitches being worked out but to me there nice .
Like I was saying I can deal with them, but for my wife looks is important. She doesn't like the look and feel I think she keeps going on the web browser part.
As I said above. perhaps you should try updating your hub and check out dashboard 2.0
I went a different route to keep the WAF (wife acceptance factor) high.
Everything in our house is automated by either contact or motion sensors. EVERYTHING. You walk into a room and depending on time of day/mode, the lights come on to predetermined levels. Open a door to the crawlspace or attic, and the lights come on automatically. If the light levels aren't adequate (for guests or it's storming out or whatnot), there's two routes to take; Button remotes in every room OR ask Alexa to raise or lower the lights. My wife actually brags to her friends that she hasn't had to touch a light switch for years now.
Just as an example, I have two motion sensors in my kitchen. Depending on time of day/mode, this is how they get set:
Every room in our house is setup the same way; Living room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, guest/kids bedroom, bathroom, my home office, attic, crawlspace and laundry room/carport and all closets. The house is finally to a point where it anticipates what we usually want and just does it. That's always been my goal for home automation. Even for leaving/arriving, the house knows when we leave (life360/router polling) and locks the doors, arms my cameras, turns off any lights (dictated by mode for outside lighting) and reverses that when we arrive. I don't have to touch a thing, use a keypad to arm or disarm, etc. My house does it all for me regardless of connectivity to the outside world.
So, for ME (this is my opinion), an app really isn't going to do anything more than the dashboards do already. For ME, it's just another attack vector into my network. Granted, I've worked at getting to this point for years now and there's been LOTS of trial and error. But, I can safely say that my home automation network is safe.
Nothing has changed as for our plans for the mobile app.
It will have access to your dashboards, push notifications and presence / geofencing.
I would like for the app to be a single source of authentication for all the dashboards. You'd open the open, enter credentials or have them saved, then the app opens and you have access to all dashboards. This would keep me from having to pin\password protect all my cloud dashboards.
People nowadays want everything and they want it in tandem.
They want functionality and aesthetic. Not one first and the other after. No they want it simultaneously. It does not make sense for most people (that are not engineers, early adopters, power users...) that design and functionality are not standard in 2019.
Also they want automation, but they also want to have control over things and in particular automation.
I completely understand why your wife does not like the aesthetics and design of the dashboard, its clunky at her eyes, the tiles have not haptic feedback, its visually not appealing.
But let's look to what was the dashboard previous to 2.07 vs what is now and you see that a lot has been done. From an engineer standpoint is a great progress. Even though @patrick says that the first release of the app will be just another way to access the current dashboards I want to believe that further releases of such app will progress into a more aesthetic pleasing app.
Obviously further market research needs to done. Not here on the forums but with Wifes, kids, grandfathers, grand mothers, guests etc.
They will need to validate their own assumptions of what the market want vs what they believe the market should have vs what the early adopters believe it should be.
But they are still large months away from that point, IMO.
This is perfect in my opinion, remote access is easy to do with a VPN if needed and dashboards. Will the geoforcing support multiple locations?
I have to respectfully disagree on that...
Eh, I'd have to agree, I don't care for the dashboards either. They're fine, but I'd like to see them better. Not a big fan of the tiles based system, but for a lack of an alternative, they're ok.
As I mentioned above (third time now!) you should update your hub and try creating a new Dashboard 2.0.
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