I am much more at ease saying the query, "OK Google, ......" to my Pixel using Google Assistant than you are. I have never been really happy tapping into a tiny keyboard--either physical or virtual. Voice just seems so natural in many (but not all) situations.
At Google I/O in May 2016, I recall that Google's CEO said that 20% of all search queries received by Google are now done by voice. And the range of virtual assistants, from Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, Viv, Alexa and now Google Home, has made conversational search/query even more popular.
As an Assistant gets to know the user better, provided the user is prepared to "buy in", the Assistant becomes more and more helpful and eventually a must-have tool. As your confidence level in the Assistant increases, the relationship becomes more and more transactional as virtual assistants permit bookings and conversions by voice to take place. Speaking naturally in a family or friendly setting seems so much more natural than peering into a glass screen and tapping away. My feeling is that if Google Home had been invented before the keyboard, people would have never adopted using a keyboard, except in very private situations. In the same way that the car overtook the horse as a means of travel, and some say the self driving car will overtake the manually driven car, this is an evolution that seems to be happening much more quickly.
For example, of course it is possible to order a Pizza at Dominos or order and Uber using an app on your smartphone, but the "conversion" (order to delivery) is even more seamless/effortless if all you have to do is ask. Same with booking a reservation or buying an item online. Your debit or credit card is seamlessly charged, with your prior approval. Asking your bank for a balance 24/7, simply by the Bank recognising your voice. The list of possible tasks you can perform by voice is growing very quickly. I expect some tasks will be possible to do using Google Home well before they arrive on Google Assistant on your smartphone for example.
I fully expect the more I do tasks on Home using only my voice and as more and more services/tasks become possible, a virtuous "circle" will be created. As Google knows more about us than probably any other service, I expect the quality of this trade-off (ie, you giving up info about yourself in return for a virtual assistant making life easier) will only improve.
ps. I too have a Nest Thermostat and yes the app works flawlessly. Did you know that if you have Google Assistant on your smartphone (built into my Pixel for example), you can already for example, use your voice to turn up or down the heat? (OK Google, set the temperature to 18C). I rarely use the Nest app anymore, as I use my voice for all but the scheduling. I expect over time the scheduling will be possible by voice too.
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