First in line for the iPad: inside the minds of early adopters

In a mere 48 hours, Apple will release its widely anticipated and newest product: the iPad. As with every other Apple product launch ? including that of the iPod and iPhone ? crowds are expected to line up around the block on Saturday, hours before the stores open, to buy iPad on opening day. But some might wonder: what’s the point? Won’t these early adopters just be wasting half a day, paying too much money, and buying a glitch-filled experiment?

Joan Rose Magee is co-author of a new piece on early adopters for SmartMoney.com; she says there are both benefits and drawbacks for the first person to purchase a new technological gizmo.

And Matthew Caldecutt, a proud early adopter of new technologies who stood in line for five hours to get the first 3G iPhone, explains why he’s generally happy to line up for the newest gadgets, but won’t be out this Saturday.