We've all done it... I know I have, and I'm pretty sure you have too.
We've all been victims of our own enthusiasm for a bright, shiny new toy. Be it standing in line for hours waiting for that gamebox 2000 or wearing down the spouse day after day about how product X is the wave of the future and that by not purchasing product X your growth as a human being will be forever stinted. We've all looked doey eyed into that electronics display window, whistfully dreaming about being the only person on our block to own processor Z "now with more Gigahertz!". Dreaming of pointing and laughing at those poor slobs who are stuck with last year's model, even though yours is so new that there are only 3 accessories available for it (and two of those have to be ordered online from Japan).
But we do it anyway, we become early adoptors. Those proud owners of soon to be cheaper or obsolete technologies that we cling to like a drowning person clings to a life raft. Our significant others shake their heads, having no words to say to those of use with the compulsive need for the new and improved. Our relatives dred every birthday and holiday wondering what unholy list we'll come up with. Are they right? Is our cause hopeless? Are we the victims of advertising, caffine, and obsessive compulsive disorder? Do we deserve the disdain that is given when people see newscasts of tramplings and auction buying of the latest gadget?
It depends....
Before I get into how to determine if you're a "wise" early adopter or headed for a loony bin, let's review the pro's and cons of being among the "the first".
Pros
- You get a chance to learn and be comfortable with a new technology before most other people. This can be and advantage when you're in a technical field or trying to impress at that new job.
- Companies depend on early adopters to get their products off the ground. If nobody buys that first wave of Product X, there likely won't be a second wave... An important point for fanboys.
- Early versions of Electronics tend to be more hackable for those of use who like to put linux on everything or homebrew. (I'm not endorsing it, I'm just saying many people would view this as a Pro)
- Toys toys toys... You bought it to play with it right? You can only play with it if you buy it.
Cons
- Early versions tend to be more buggy than later versions.
- Not all products take off. You might end up with an expensive paperweight. (Significant others hate this)
- Electronic toys tend to get less expensive as time goes on... MUCH less expensive.
- Lack of accessories - Most peole have version x-1 so most of the stores are going to sell x-1 until the new product becomes more popular. In the begining especially, accessories can be hard to come by.
Looking at the pros and cons above, you're probably thinking "Now he's going to argue--> Be an early adopter if you want to be a fanboy/hacker type but otherwise let the price go down before you buy"... Well... you could stop at that level of analysis (and many do). But I'll take this a step further.. Here's what I look for when I consider early adoption.
1) Are there enough accessories? - Sometimes products start out with a fair amount of accessories at launch. If you can get what you need, at least enough to keep you busy until more comes out. Then you might be okay.
2) Is this a replacement of something else? - If you're replacing product X, it MIGHT not be a bad idea to replace with the newer version. The only greater sin than investing too much in new technology is investing too much in obsolete technology.
3) Does it do something you need now? - There's such a thing as a killer app. Sometimes there's a feature that you just can't imaging living without. If your comfort/happiness is worth not spending that money on something else you might want to consider early adoption. Many nerds will argue that practically every technology is a "must have" in this sense. Married nerds learn to pick thier battles. Using this point too often loses it's effect.
4) Is there a cost benefit?- Can it do it better/faster/cheaper with the new product? Do the math, the costs might be offsetting. If it's a bigscreen TV, will it save you from spending $20 going to the movies?
5) Is it expensive - Yes, probably. But that's not what I'm talking about. The point is, is this within your means comfortably? If you bought it today would you have to put it on layaway, make payments? If it's not making too much of a dent in your wallet then you might not have to justify the cost. It's okay to reward yourself if you've been good.
See, there ARE reasons. If your significant other doesn't believe you POINT THEM TO THIS SITE. (heck, we could use the traffic). In the meantime, may all of your holidays bring you toys that require batteries....