Shortly before 11 a.m. Thursday, Steve Wozniak arrived in front of an Apple store in Chermside, Australia.
He wanted to be one of the first to buy an iPhone 5 when the store opens at 8 a.m. on Friday.
He won't be numero uno. Two people were already there in line, in front of him.
Wozniak, one of the founders of Apple way back when, is apparently not alone in his passion for mobile communication devices.
According to a study released this week by Brainshark, Inc., if your iPad mobile device broke, it would be worse than getting a root canal, breaking a bone or getting in a minor car accident. 35 percent say they no longer bring their laptops on business trips; the iPad is enough.
The Brainshark survey was conducted last month with over 1,300 responses. If its conclusions are even close to accurate, it shows a true frenzied passion when it comes to owning and using our mobile devices.
iPad owners report taking and using their devices just about everywhere, including:
- While they are naked – 34 percent have used the device in the buff
- On the toilet – 60 percent take their time to surf while on the commode
- In the tub – 21 percent choose their iPad, leaving their gaggle of rubber duckies stranded.
According to Brainshark, 67 percent of iPad owners say the mobile device has replaced their books, 31 percent use it as their TV, 31 percent as their camera, and on and on.
But here's where it gets crazy.
iPad owners say they'd rather lose the following items than lose their iPad:
- License – 42 percent
- Wedding ring – 20 percent
- Credit card or ATM card – 46 and 45 percent
- Wallet – 27 percent
42 percent would rather shut off their heat on a winter day than shut off their iPad.
And when they're travelling, respondents 55 percent said they'd rather forget deodorant than forget their iPad. Ewww! And 47 percent of women said they'd rather forget birth control than to leave their iPad behind.
Now, along comes iPhone 5, technologically not far behind an iPad, and in some cases, with apps unavailable elsewhere.
Our passion seems no less for iPhones than it does for iPads. A report by Square Trade, an electronics protection plan provider, states Americans have spent nearly $6 billion since 2007 repairing their broken iPhones.
Gosh, that's twice as much as Americans will spend for toilet paper this year, according to the report.
Most common accident? "It fell out of my hand, man."
How crazy are you when it comes to mobile devices? Is it more important to you than heat in the winter. More important than your wedding ring?
Let us know in your comments. Share your stories of passion.
