Long before voice biometrics, IVR and other voice applications infiltrated our technological ecosystem, perhaps the only telltale sign of what was to come was found in Disney’s (News - Alert) “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” in which the queen presents to her magical mirror, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of them all?”

Fast forward nearly 75 years, and the quest for receiving the answers to our most pressing questions has become much of a reality, warping into what we now know as Siri, the iPhone (News - Alert) 4S’ intelligent voice assistant for performing tasks.

While this iPhone 4S voice control application has been built to send messages, make calls, set reminders and more – and just with the prompt of a naturally-spoken request by the user – much hype has surrounded Siri’s quirky personality and ability to answer even the most absurd questions. In fact, at a recent get-together with close friends, many of us anxiously gathered around a newly-purchased iPhone 4S only to ask Siri questions verging on slightly inappropriate.

Entertaining, yes, but the real question is, does this breakout iPhone technology merit the same enthusiasm and approval when it comes to its functionality and ability to help users get their tasks accomplished?

TMCnet’s own Tracey E. Schelmetic previously provided us with a range of requests that Siri is capable of successfully completing, such as the ability to instantly check the weather if asked whether a raincoat is necessary, to remind you about an upcoming anniversary, check the stock market, reply to a text message for you via dictation, and even search for information about the breeding habits of the pileated woodpecker (we said it could answer your most pressing questions, didn’t we?).

Of course, the critics and industry reviewers have had a hay-day with what is potentially the iPhone 4S’ most buzzed about technology. For one, Mashable critic Charlie White describes Siri as “impressive, but still a work in progress,” touting its accuracy and convenience, but reminding us all that the software is a long way from its full potential.

“Only a company with the chutzpah of Apple (News - Alert) would have the courage to try something like this,” he says. “But Siri works just well enough for Apple to pull it off, bolstered by the iPhone 4S’s faster processor and better camera.”

Still, Siri boasts a myriad of capabilities, including quickly connecting you to contacts just by speaking a name of someone in your contacts list, turning a spoken e-mail to text, and searching for good restaurants in the area. And, thanks to the iPhone 4S’ iOS 5 software, its accuracy and integration has greatly improved since it was first introduced as a single iPhone app in 2010, says White.

However, for critics at KnowYourMobile.com, Siri is deemed as more of a “gimmick” rather than a useful application due to its lack of accuracy for dictation, which, of course, doesn’t make it a true companion for drivers. For example, Siri fumbled quite a bit when it came to reading e-mails and redirecting to a specific location. However, it performed quite optimally when it came to the basics: placing phone calls, opening a Web page, and quick reminder messages.

Meanwhile, some Siri users seem to be running into issues getting the voice assistant feature to work on the iPhone 4S, with many new Siri recruits experiencing connection problems even while they’re connected to WiFi (News - Alert) or have 3G coverage, as reported by CNET. While Apple has yet to respond publicly to the issues, Twitter (News - Alert) and an Apple support forum continue to be flooded with complaints.

So, whether you’re asking Siri for what numbers you should pick for this week’s lottery pick, or what your appointment lineup is for the day, there seems to be a number of factors that will determine whether this voice application is successful. Whether it can tell you who the fairest one of all is, or even the meaning of life, that’s for you to find out.

Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jamie Epstein