Technologists enjoy new things even if they don't work, early adopters are trying to solve a problem but don't mind going first as long as it works. Pragmatics (early majority) want to solve a problem using tools that other pragmatics are also using because they want the comforts of a whole product. Conservatives (late majority) are very cost conscious and want it dead simple. Laggards make do with pre-existing solutions until they are no longer available at a reasonable price.
By the way, it's extremely difficult to build simple products that work reliably. They always come later. It's much easier to build an innovative productive that is partially reliable but provides functionality or performance that is not available.
Comments
It's not a one bit encoding of "Hacker vs. Normal" and early adopters are different from technologists. See for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossing_the_chasm
Technologists enjoy new things even if they don't work, early adopters are trying to solve a problem but don't mind going first as long as it works. Pragmatics (early majority) want to solve a problem using tools that other pragmatics are also using because they want the comforts of a whole product. Conservatives (late majority) are very cost conscious and want it dead simple. Laggards make do with pre-existing solutions until they are no longer available at a reasonable price.
By the way, it's extremely difficult to build simple products that work reliably. They always come later. It's much easier to build an innovative productive that is partially reliable but provides functionality or performance that is not available.