iPad, therefore I am

I don't really know why I went through the motions. In my heart of hearts I knew 0.514 seconds after it was announced on 27th Jan that resistance was futile. The iPad has arrived and I just gotta get me one.

At first I thought, no. I have an iMac. A Macbook. An iPhone. Surely that covers all my conceivable digital needs. But then my friends reminded me we've been here before. I said I wouldn't buy an iPhone, instead contenting myself with an iPod touch. A week later I go out and get an iPhone anyway.

Fortunately, I'm not alone. "The Church of Apple" (as Stephen Fry calls it) is taking over. Just look at the iPad. People are making marriage proposals with it. Prime Ministers are running their governments with it. The iPad is like Kevin Bacon's new kid on the block in "Footloose". At first a bit scary with his trendy big city clothes and attitude, but soon enough he's got the whole town jigging away to his tune.

The iPad is bound to be a success, and of course I'm gonna be right at the head of the queue when it hits the UK. But it's not just because I have a penchant for shiny gadget-y things that "just work". For me, and other like-minded enthusiasts, Apple isn't just a brand, it's a way of life.

And Apple surely know this. The recent "I'm a Mac" ads show that they recognize the importance of identity processes in selling their product (hence the "formal and stuffy" PC vs. the "laid-back" Mac). When it comes to imbuing one's product with a sense of social identity, their marketing strategy is pure genius.

See this is all classic Social Identity Theory. According to the 1979 propositions put forward by Henri Tajfel and John Turner we derive a sense of who we are, and a large part of our self-esteem, from the groups to which we belong. With Apple you're buying into a club that makes you feel cutting-edge, cool and ahead of the game. Of course, there are those who disagree: they tell me that iPods, Macs and the like are just glossy, expense versions of what PCs can do. But psychologically speaking, this sort of castigation from the "outgroup" just makes my membership even more appealing. One of the predictions made by social identity theory, and one that has been borne out in many studies, is that we're attracted to groups that don't only make us feel positive, but also distinctive. So as long as your group makes you feel good it doesn't matter if you're scorned for it, because that contrast gives your group meaning and purpose. In fact some studies have shown that the need for distinctiveness is even more powerful than the need to feel good, which might help explain why people sometimes join groups that are generally disliked (but who, by virtue of their negative identity, highly distinctive).

So yes, I'll be there when the iPad hits the UK in May, chomping wildly at the bit in expectant glee. I'm sure I'll enjoy actually using the thing massively. But just as much I'll enjoy the warm sense of satisfaction I'll feel inside knowing that I'm firmly in the club; my social identity as an Apple enthusiast secure. And even more important for my Apple identity, I can't wait to be called a geek.