Do I understand this correctly;
Wink hub has many radio types, but is basically a dumb device. To control it you use a smart phone and a web application, and the cloud based server running the web application sends instructions to the Wink hub.
Is this just for device setup, or do I need to bounce to the web each time I dim a light?
Yup, that's correct. Here's the current situation:
1. The Wink Hub is wireless only (no Ethernet). It contains 6 radios (Wifi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Zwave, ClearConnect, and Kidde). It is cheap ($79 MSRP, but it's been on sale a lot) and is backed by Home Depot, which means that is has a decently large (and growing) product support base. The idea is that it is an inexpensive, hassle-free home automation controller that uses your smartphone or table as a remote control.
2. It
requires an Internet connection. It is a relay device, not a server. The system is entirely controlled via Wink's cloud servers, for better or for worse. This means if either your Internet connection goes down or Wink's servers go down, you are hosed. Wink's servers have been down several times recently, causing service outages. Being cloud-based, this also introduces a bit of lag into relaying your commands. This is not a standalone server and cannot work without an Internet connection. The benefit is that your smartphone works automatically when you are not home, so you can control everything at work, at school, etc. with zero setup (no DynDNS or port forwarding or anything like that, it "just works" on most routers).
3. It
requires an Android or iPhone device. No computer access (not even via web browser), no Blackberry support, no Windows Phone support - just iOS & Android. You must have an Android phone or tablet (or other Android device that can run the Wink app) or an iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad. That's it for now, period.
4. Due to the built-in radios, it has a pretty broad range of support - Kidde Smoke/CO alarms (which are half the price of Google's Nest Protect at $50 each), Lutron's ClearConnect lighting system (which is excellent & has great remote controls too), GE "smart bulbs" (Link LED lights, they have the Zigbee chip built-in so all you have to do is screw them in & pair them - and they start at only $15 each), and so on. Not all of those are currently available for a computer-based home automation server (for example, you can get a USB Zwave radio adapter & some home automation software, but there's nothing for Kidde or ClearConnect at the moment).k
5. It is a work-in-progress. It is a new product; I feel that the software was rushed to make the release deadline. The hardware is good, but I've had some glitches with the system (ex. server downtime in the cloud, commands not being received, especially scheduled commands such as "porch light on at 8:00pm"). So, keep in mind that while it is cheap, it is also not 100% reliable. I would say like 90% reliable right now, with some hangups in server uptime & scheduling issues. I believe geofencing has also been a bit of an issue (especially with battery drain on your smartphone, of course).
There are a few things to keep in mind:
1. No smarthome system works 100%, even the expensive ones. Best option for reliability is hardwire & basic manual switches. But then you lose the added functionality
2. You pay for convenience. Outlets & switches are $60 each. Motorized blinds are over $300 each. Smoke alarms are $50. Thermostats & deadbolts are generally at least $175 each. Completely outfitting your home, even on a budget system like Wink, can still cost several thousand dollars.
3. There are a lot of competing products. Samsung just bought Smart Things, a similar system. Staples has the Connect hub. I like Wink because they are partnered with GE & Home Depot, and Home Depot is pushing the Wink Hub as their chosen smarthome hub, so pretty much all of the stores already have kiosks setup with all kinds of compatible stuff - garage door adapters, smart lights, etc. Since Home Depot is kind of the go-to place for DIY home stuff, they seem like a safe bet to buy from.
4. Wink is far from perfect, but it is not terrible. I had some initial trouble getting it on my wireless network (which I expected, based on the reviews) and have encountered some glitches, but the accuracy is improving & the convenience is awfully nice to have. The glitches are annoying, but since pretty much everything has a failsafe mode (ex. if the Wink cloud service is down, I can still press the smart-enable wallwitch manually and the lights will still turn off), it's not a huge deal. Plus it's stupid cheap, especially with the inexpensive GE bulbs, which makes getting started not an enormous investment.
As long as you know what you're getting into, it's not bad. I consider it a toy. The accessories are expensive, but nice. I would really like them to add local server functionality if your ISP or their server goes down, and I would like the reliability to increase to 100%. They're almost there - a few more tweaks & this system will really shine. For now - it's a good deal for something fun to play with.