> assuming that every (other) smart appliance can't have usefulness outside of its core, dumb functionality,
I'm not assuming that at all and it has nothing to do with smart TVs. Smart TVs are a place where having a computer inside is something people want.
I'm saying other appliances are different, not because there can't be a benefit, but because the benefits are much smaller and complexity to usefulness ratio is much smaller. Also operating most appliances remotely or with a more elaborate interface doesn't give much benefit. Thermostats might be somewhere in the middle since there is a lot of room for improvement, not just in setting up a schedule or setting them remotely, but in the information they give back to you (how many btus are you leaking out of your house over time, etc.)
I'm not assuming that at all and it has nothing to do with smart TVs. Smart TVs are a place where having a computer inside is something people want.
I'm saying other appliances are different, not because there can't be a benefit, but because the benefits are much smaller and complexity to usefulness ratio is much smaller. Also operating most appliances remotely or with a more elaborate interface doesn't give much benefit. Thermostats might be somewhere in the middle since there is a lot of room for improvement, not just in setting up a schedule or setting them remotely, but in the information they give back to you (how many btus are you leaking out of your house over time, etc.)