Study: Geeks Don't Like iPad, "Selfish Elite" Do

Jul

2010

Dan Hope, TechNewsDaily Staff Writer
04:58 PM ET

If any group of people is known as early adopters of new technology , it's the so-called geeks. Yet a new study has shown that geeks are more likely to be suspicious of the Apple iPad, and that the popular tablet computer draws a completely different kind of crowd.

A recent study of survey data MyType took regarding the iPad indicates that independent geeks, those who are generally acknowledged to be more technically proficient with electronics, programming and similar interests are mistrustful of the iPad because it has limited capabilities compared to netbooks or other devices. Instead, it is the "Selfish Elite" who are likeliest to own an iPad.

Selfish Elite may have been an inflammatory choice of words, but this group of people, MyType found, aren't just rich, they are well educated and "sophisticated." For them, the iPad's price ($499 for the cheapest model) is less daunting and the touchscreen interface is attractive for those who are already likely to be doing business on the move.

"iPad Owners are an elite bunch. They’re wealthy, highly educated and sophisticated. They value power and achievement much more than others. They’re also selfish, scoring low on measures of kindness and altruism. As can be seen in the chart below, we found that people with all or most of these qualities, whom we call selfish elites, are roughly 6 times more likely to be an iPad Owner than the average person," read the MyType report.

MyType explained that the iPad might be more attractive to selfish people who "jump on the opportunity to take work and the web deeper into their lives. The unselfish are less likely to be single-mindedly ambitious and more likely to be attuned to the needs of their families and other private, offline pursuits."

Bad generalizations aside, what the survey seemed to show most was that the average person isn't getting an iPad. More than half of respondents didn't think the iPad was a very big deal, six percent didn't even know what it was, and another significant portion had thought about buying but had serious reservations. That left only three percent of people who had bought or were planning to buy an iPad.