This is revisionist history. Apple bought Siri, and it was seen as such a trailblazer - and now looks at its plight. Siri is the worst of all the assistants, and a textbook example of what not to do.
I don't see how "seen as a trailblazer" means that it must still be that way years later...
Given that digital assistants are the most popular they have ever been, it's not absurd to suggest Apple missed their AI on-ramp.
Digital assistants appear in Star Trek, but that doesn't mean any given one was going to succeed.
You'll note that Star Trek's digital assistants didn't struggle to set a timer.
I will not forgive Apple for Dark Sky. Trying to label all non-Apple users as "die-hard" is just silly. The author is hopelessly biased.