The new Amazon Echo Show is the latest manifestation of the Echo, Amazon's (AMZN  ) voice-controlled smart speaker that has become an underdog hit.

The Echo Show is essentially an Echo with a screen, and one controls it the same way you do any other Echo - by conversing with Alexa, its cheery assistant. The Echo Show is thick and shaped like a rear-projection TV, except its screen is an LCD. It comprises a 21-watt amplifier, which is a lot more power than one sees in the average Bluetooth speaker. Thus, the Show is much better on sound than the Echo and Google Home by Google (GOOG  ). The device has an Atom x5-Z8350 chip, with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of embedded flash memory. For wireless there's 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1.

Some claim that using the new smart speaker and its screen is not much different from asking Apple's (NASDAQ; AAPL) Siri on an iPad to book a restaurant table or saying "OK, Google" to an Android-based phone to create a calendar appointment. However, what's distinct about it is that it holds the power to become not just any old machine, but rather an informational appliance, one that can be used with as much frequency and reliance as any kitchen appliance would be.

The Echo is not without its fair share of rivals, but proves to be much more useful than Google Home, which was released two years after Amazon's device. The Apple HomePod speaker will not ship until the end of the year, giving Echo an much needed lead that can enable it to capitalize upon excess revenue and time that can solidify its image and brand. Moreover, the Echo is marginally cheaper than the products of its rivals. The lowest-priced Echo, the Dot, sells for $50; the new Show, available to the public starting Wednesday, sells for $230, but you get $100 off if you buy two.

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The touch screen is reported to be clear and responsive, while The benefits of having a touch-screen with Alexa are made apparent when you launch YouTube, providing the ability to see a step-by-step recipe in the kitchen, for example. Other features include the ability to chat via video with other Echo Show users, helping to build brand loyalty and incentivize more people to be "in the loop" and purchase a device for themselves.

However, the artificial intelligence only goes so far. One user reported that when they asked Alexa to play the top trending video on YouTube, instead the device played a video with precisely that title. That being said, unlike a tablet or smartphone, the stationary Echo Show sits at a fixed angle and stays plugged in for power at all times, similar to a digital picture frame. This eliminates the need to constantly have to charge it or fuss over placing it near a plug point. It is also quite mobile, making it convenient to move it around or transport it to different locations.

It will definitely be hard to trump this one, as the Echo Show provides unique promise for the future that could potentially change domestic lives the world over.