The Cost of Being an Early Adopter

Being an Early Adopter (EA) has a cost, sometimes it can be rather steep.  Take 6 years ago when I bought my first HD plasma TV - $3500.  We all know what HD sets go for today.  How about the Nintendo 3DS I paid $249 at launch, within a few weeks it dropped to $169.  Or the Nexus 7 16gb at launch $249 now $199.  I remember talking to the staff at GameStop last March about the cost of the Sony PS Vida.  I mentioned that I thought the price at $249 was too high for mass adoption, that I was going to wait until the price dropped.  They responded by saying that there was no way we would see a price decrease before 2013.  Having just been burnt by the 3DS I decided to wait.  In August I picked it up at Sams Club for $199 and felt like I got a great deal.  Last week I walked into Sams and they had them clearanced for $129!  I could go on and on....  For those of you looking for a great deal on a hot cell phone, the Galaxy S3 is going to be $.96 this week at Sams.  And yes I have already moved on.  So it is worth being an Early Adopter, is it worth being on the bleeding edge?  I certainly believe that it is!  We work out the bugs and even more importantly we pave the way for the enviable price reductions.  Plus, to be perfectly honest, most of us EA's have become bored with the technology and are ready to move on by the time the price reductions come.  The next latest and greatest is already calling our name.  The world needs us, we are good for Company profits, we hasten Service Pack 1, we write the reviews that influence your buying decisions and we absorb the high cost of entry by purchasing at launch price.  I know that the 7 hrs, so far, I have spent on the phone with the Microsoft Surface support team will pay off for the next wave of adopters.  Remember those great Nokia commercials "The Smartphone Beta Test is Over", that's us.  What's in it for us?  We get to satisfy our primal urges by being pioneers, playing with the technology first, finding the bugs, talking with support and in our own small way influencing future development.  We may not be Lewis and Clark or Christopher Columbus but we serve our own special part in the exploration of new technology....

Authored on my Early Adopter Microsoft Surface