ABSTRACT
The term early adopters refers to eager users of technology who have the interest and financial wherewithal to buy new products as soon as they appear on the market. They don’t wait for manufacturers to work out all the kinks, or for prices to go down. They are driven to be the first to own and show off new gadgets and devices. In his book The Invisible Computer, Donald Norman (1998) credits early adopters with being the key to the advancement of new technologies. Someone has to go first and give new devices a chance before they can gain wide recognition and distribution. Early adopters tend to be affluent, a necessary attribute that allows them the means to buy new items that they find appealing. Manufacturers of devices such as digital cameras, digital music players, PDAs, and other gadgets need early purchasers to get their products off the ground. Detractors may say that wasteful buying habits fuel the fire as more and more gizmos of questionable value glut the market, but promoters of new products pin their hopes on them. The adventurous early adopters may lose money by buying early and find themselves wanting upgrades of items early in the game, but these are risks they knowingly and willingly take. Their initiatives help make it possible for everyone else to enjoy new products a little later, after they have been perfected and affordably priced.
