Owning a cutting-edge gadget has a certain cool factor, but early adopters rarely get a great deal. Some observers say Apple’s new iPad, available to pre-order Friday for an April 3 release, isn’t likely to be an exception — though there will probably be no shortage of shoppers wanting to go first.
“Most people are better off waiting for the technology to mature,” says Rob Enderle, the principal analyst at the Enderle Group, a San Jose, Calif.-based technology research firm. First versions of emerging technology are at premium prices and riddled with glitches. “Even the first iPhone owners were pretty unhappy.”
