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Great MDN final comment. Couldn't agree more.

I have an iPad and it is true--- I also strive for getting to be the best I can.

Jul 28, 10 - 12:46 pm Comment from: One Guy From Finland

And we don't even have those damn things yet...
I want one now! Me me me me!

I bet they define Bill Gates as altruistic and using Windows Vistaseven as independent.

I think Apples challenge is going to be convincing people to be honest about what they use their computers for, especially their notebooks. People have been programmed to believe that a glut of features and apps make a computer more valuable when in reality the vast majority use the same 6 or 7 apps/features 99% of the time. I sold my Macbook and bought an iPad. I haven't regretted the decision at all. There are many more like me!

Study: Experts prove that Wired is written by snotty self-important San Francisco jerks.

No one is touching mine either!

Jul 28, 10 - 12:53 pm Comment from: Cascadians

From my experience, once you have one it becomes My Precious, turning the user into a Selfish Elite.

Hard to pry our iPad out of my partner's hands. But content myself with the iMac i7.

I thought they would be called "early adopters" or successful people with disposable income vs young minimum wage earning whiners Me thinks the survey = FUD.

The critical group must be a very small number.

If they're geeks, they must be out of work geeks. Who would have the time to go out of their way to criticize a product with which they're unfamiliar.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:05 pm Comment from: LordRobin

Wow, so my wife is a "selfish elite"? I'll tell her that next time I see her using her iPad for its primary purpose: reading manga.

------RM

Jul 28, 10 - 01:07 pm Comment from: Deus Ex Technica

I noticed the author of the article took time to characterize people who are "wealthy, sophisticated, highly educated and disproportionately interested in business and finance" as "selfish elites".

Wonder why they didn't bother to characterize people who are "
self-directed young people who look down on conformity and are interested in videogames, computers, electronics, science and the internet" as "slackers"?

Damn snobby, elitist, analysts, newspaper no nothings. Can they just figure out that what they call know-it-alls are actually the people that actually know what the little device is about.

Just because a writer views some facts or data, it clearly means they all do not get it. The need to have a secure environment means you must have some control. Lock down some freedom to maintain a stable system.

If you can get a newspapers or the print media to break their conformity to the twisting of facts, emotional fluff, or become more honest upfront on their policitial objectives. That would make them the bloggers, Internet reporters, and the average Joe reporting the fact the media omitted- yet they are the same ones they seek government protection, belittle, or elevate their kind above all. Just because they have a degree, a job in the media, and the fact they are the elite of truth and perception. Yet, they can get little right!

MDN has busted so many on facts, omissions, and just flat-out wrong.

So who do they call elitist? People who they think run business! They never look at themselves-never.

I Feel Better Now and they smell no the bit less foul to me!

>Dues Ex

Exactly!

Jul 28, 10 - 01:13 pm Comment from: theloniousMac

There is some validity to this report.

I would argue that $500 is a great deal of money to so called "geeks." These are people who probably struggle with spending $500 while building the fastest, fire breathing Windows based PC they can, so they can frag the other guy in their mom's basements.

Sure they're interested in the Internet, but only so far as the next lame self mutilation (no pun intended) viral or "2 girls one cup" video is concerned. After all, they need good conversation topics while working their jobs at the local fast food chain. These are often relatively intelligent people, not spectacularly so, but they can be taught and are able to mimic their teachers, much like chimpanzees. I can see these people criticizing the iPad. The power to increase the dissemination of information probably doesn't register as "sick."

The iPad, while a game changing device and a harbinger of things to come, is currently not a necessity for most people, especially people who already have a computer. Consequently I submit there is a third group. There are those people who are curious about where this device is going to take us. These are future minded people who see possibilities. These are people who are willing to spend $500 on the device and sit down with it and ask themselves, "What can I do with this? What can I do with it to make the world a bit better?" Call that selfish if you like, I for one hope there are lots of those selfish people around, looking to build upon the ideas of others, and share their creativity. Call me elitist if you like, but I prefer the company of such people to the company of chimps, sitting in the dark, screaming NOOB at a screen, and forgetting to wash their hands after surfing one of the free porn sites.

Truth be told, I fall somewhere between the two groups.

I own an iPad. Thanks for the compliment and yes I'm interested in Business and Finance. As for selfish? No.

"This group tends to be 'self-directed young people who look down on conformity and are interested in videogames, computers, electronics, science and the internet,' said Koelkebeck."

I know several of these types of folks and I love it when they start complaining and trying to define my group as elites or selfish.

My favorite comback is to ask them how much money or time they donated or volunteered last year to anything. They never do, they just bitch and give stupid excuses why they didn't or don't.

My group, what they call "selfish elites", tends to donate to families in need, schools, leagues and things that make society a little better. They help in shelters, food lines and their local PTA. I spend countless hours coaching youth programs, volunteering in my local community, and school functions and supporting other peoples kids in school activities, sports and special interests.

What does their group contribute to society? Not sure but they tend to "CONSUME" everything and produce nothing.

If they want to call me a selfish elites, fine I'll take that as a completment but I doubt what I do or own defines me as a person.

If it does, then I would classify the other group as "bums".

Jul 28, 10 - 01:14 pm Comment from: Giles

@ Skabeetle - 12:51

"I think Apples challenge is going to be convincing people to be honest about what they use their computers for [...] I sold my MacBook and bought an iPad."

That's exactly what I think and what I did. I keep using my iMac, of course.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:15 pm Comment from: breeze

Something is pretty surrealistically wrong and disturbing when "wealthy, sophisticated, highly educated and disproportionately interested in business and finance" is portrayed as a negative social stigma.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:17 pm Comment from: Escaport

My iPad 64Gb 3G is a work of art and is fantastic. Excuse me please, while I go run down some puppies with my Porsche. God it's great being me!

Considering most 'independent geeks' use pcs' I rather think the term is an oxymoron.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:23 pm Comment from: Me In LA

Dead-on.
I'm an elite prick.
I love my iPad.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:26 pm Comment from: Vatdoro

The survey is from "opinions of 20,000 people were analyzed between March and May".

That was 2 months ago, and the iPad wasn't released until April 3rd. So, this survey includes 1 opinions one month prior to the release and 2 months following the release. What a skewed ridiculous survey!

Of course the first 2 months of sales for a brand new device is going to be the normal early adopter group. (Well educated, disposable income, etc...)

I can tell you as of this summer, more and more "average" people are getting iPads. I see more people using iPads every day. It's growing crazy fast.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:28 pm Comment from: HughB

I wonder where those geeks are today? They should be here with their anti Apple crap. Hey I got it. Isn't today the day the Dell Streak is on sale? I bet they are all in lines waiting to get theirs. BTW where is the news about the Streak? Not on Cnet yet. What a name, worse than iPad I think.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:28 pm Comment from: auramac

It never ceases to amaze me how many dumb, hateful, clueless, morons are out there- getting press and Pay to exist?!

As my brother recently wondered- is the world getting worse or are we just noticing more?

This is one reason we need sites like MDN as an antidote and reality check for those of us who get and appreciate the beauty and innovation of Apple products. And why extraneous non-sequiters such as politics, politicians, and flame wars not only detract from MDN's value but send one scrambling for sanity elsewhere. I want- need-want a new iPad, iPhone, Macbook Pro... but my car is also dying! (So's my wife's..)

Let's see.. how am I gonna work this?.....

Jul 28, 10 - 01:32 pm Comment from: Ringgo

dont know much bout any elites, but this here eyepad
that i done traded for a jug o my best moonshine, it does the trick all rite. use it in the outhouse some. lordy, my ole lady be larning french on the thing, an bubba two shacks over poontang hill, he gots truck repair work now on account of it.

maybe the thing, it turns folk like us into elites.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:37 pm Comment from: bjh

Damn the begrudgers, iPad owners, and enjoy !

Meanwhile, I'm not buying an iPad with obsolete technology, preferring to wait for next year's model with the retina display
I'll do with my iPhone and MacBook Pro for now...

So let me see if I understand this correctly. If I criticize something I donʻt own in electronics that makes me an independent geek not a sour grapes or jealous person.

This "consumer research" survey sounds highly suspect to me.

Here's what I wrote on the survey site:

Here’s where this breaks down for me…
You surveyed 20,000 people on Facebook…I’m assuming you didn’t randomly survey people but got random people from Facebook to answer some questions…people who volunteer for online surveys are also likely more inclined to have very strong opinions…likely stronger than your average person you might survey on the street. Next, there are over 3,000,000 iPad owners at this point…so some subset of 20,000 people who are iPad owners hardly make up a good statistic about iPad owners…what it makes is MAYBE a good subset of early adopters…of which I am one…and while I can be as selfish as the next person…I’m also altruistic and donate a fair share of my time and money each year to causes greater than myself…like homelessness.

Here’s one last thing…your numbers prove that the iPad haters are lazy, prideful and greedy…so how does that really add up when it comes to profiling us iPad elites are selfish???

So based on your numbers…the independent geeks…are childless, lazy, prideful, greedy, yet morally superior atheist. Good work…you’ve really nailed it. (eye rolling)

Jul 28, 10 - 01:46 pm Comment from: Steve516

"don't touch our iPads with your filthy microshit/dell paws that have been greased with cash and are infected with idiocy"

Jul 28, 10 - 01:47 pm Comment from: m159

And the conductors of the study are arrogant, obsessive, voyeurs with an overinflated sense of self-importance and relevance: an inventory of indicators which add up to a textbook case of insecurity and envy.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:50 pm Comment from: Arnold Ziffel

Just more FUD from the so-called news media.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:51 pm Comment from: HughB

Could it be just the 20,000 idiots that were polled are on facebook are elitists? I will bet that there is a higher percent of elitists on facebook and twitter than there are among those of us who don't need to announce every time we read a book, or go to a restaraunt, or have a good bowel movement. Just sayin'

Jul 28, 10 - 01:51 pm Comment from: TheMacAdvocate

"96 percent those most likely to criticize the iPad, on the other hand, don’t even own one"

And there you have it.

Wonder where my 80 year old mom fits into... lives on SS and bought an iPad so she could have something easy to use for emailing her kids. Ya, guess that makes her selfish...

Jul 28, 10 - 01:54 pm Comment from: TheMacAdvocate

@theloniousMac

"Truth be told, I fall somewhere between the two groups."

I'd like to think the best of you, Mac, so I'll assume you always wash your hands.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:55 pm Comment from: MacTony

It's funny how the "have nots" always label the "haves" as selfish elites. By the way, the definition of "haves" is someone that has 2 dollars more than you.

Jul 28, 10 - 01:55 pm Comment from: kcwookie

Who cares? I have one and they don't. It just the new form of dick envy.

I guess there are always exceptions to the rule.

I fall into most of those categories except I dont know about the love-less stuff. I buy food for the hungry, donate to breast cancer charities, have helped at homeless shelters. Maybe that is not "love".

As I said, I am also ambitious, money hungry (dont know about power hungry), and always looking for a way to transfer wealth from your pocket to my pocket by providing product and services. Theft is out of the question. Stretching the truth is OK, though.

So I wonder where I fit in the world according to other's definition/perception of reality?

Between March and May? No wonder so many of those interviewed did not own one. . . . Sour grapes?

Yeah, these so-called poles are a bit suspect.

I just quickly poled everyone in this room who owns an iPad. Every one of them is over sixty, and retired. Their average income is under $30,000, and they're all involved in volunteer work.

Jul 28, 10 - 02:00 pm Comment from: alansky

Message to the morons who conducted this "study" and everyone who agrees with it: Go f**k yourselves!

@anonymous: Do you really care?

Don't let this crap bother any of you. Magazines like Wired do studies like this to prey on and pigeonhole the weak-minded into tight little categories, and only those with weak self-esteem and hyper-consumer disease actually buy into this garbage and let themselves be packed into the sardine can that is "social" branding.

Man, elementary school dreck like this is so pathetic...

Oh, and @anonymous- do people give you money because of their "perception" of you; I mean, outside of your profession?

If not, why do you care? Why bother? Unless there's some sort of true tangible reward for what people think of you; other than some sort of ego-boosting "satisfaction"; what... is... the... point?!?!?

I never understood the need to be "liked" or for attention in high school, and I never will. I get NOTHING out of it, and spent my high school years telling those who tried to push their pathetic "peer pressure" crap on me how stupid and worthless they were. It's funny how things don't change for some even after they become "adults".

Oh well. Not my problem, but hilarious and pitiful nevertheless.

New survey in:

95% of iPad haters- clueless and easily stroked losers- will flock to and pour hits on any website that will stroke their fragile little egos with "studies" that call them "kind, altruistic and independent thinkers"

Mmm does that make me a selfish elite? Well... in the minds of apple hating geekboy losers (who's life becomes more painful with every day that apple succeeds) that is a certainty.

24 yo broke ass college graduated that couldnt afford a iMac lol who fights for low income housing i sooooo am not rich and looking for a job with a non profit that has a positve social change for the working poor unless im the only exception to the study which in that case were screwed

@breeze

Reading comprehension, my friend. The characteristics you described contribute to the "elite" part of the label. Elite in itself is not a bad thing and does not have a ba connotation - quite the opposite in fact.

"Michael Jordan was an elite athlete."

Unkind and non-altruistic contribute to the "selfish" part of the label. That's the part that has a "negative social stigma" and rightfully so.

In combination, a selfish elite sounds like someone who is successful and intelligent but puts personal gain above anything else. Whether this is accurate for iPad owners is debatable, but for someone who attacked me for poor reading comprehension, you really should think (and read) before writing. Big words don't mask your poor comprehension skills.

@mac_KID

You and my 13year old who is saving up for one by mowing yards.

Jul 28, 10 - 02:32 pm Comment from: ron

I'm an elite, not a geek. GREAT!

Im Rich Im Rich !!!!!!!!!!!!

Notice how the attributes (particularly negative ones) are suspiciously missing from the description of an "Independent Geek"?

This tells you who the (alledgedly) independent reviewer associates themself with.

In digging into their own website, it appears that some of the attributes of an "Independent Geek" include:

GREEDY
PRIDEFUL
LAZY

...plus atheistic and with *zero* kids.

Based on the combination of the above, it would appear that the so-called "Independent" Geek demographic is a leach & still living in Mom's basement. Wish I was joking.


-hh

Jul 28, 10 - 02:47 pm Comment from: RicMac

wealthy, well-educated, power-hungry, over-achieving, sophisticated, unkind and non-altruistic 30-50 year olds,' --- uh, yeah, you called?