I am one of those people. Well, according to Wired, I am:

Consumer research firm MyType conducted the study, in which opinions of 20,000 people were analyzed between March and May. The firm’s conclusion was that iPad owners tend to be wealthy, sophisticated, highly educated and disproportionately interested in business and finance, while they scored terribly in the areas of altruism and kindness. In other words, “selfish elites.”

They are six times more likely to be “wealthy, well-educated, power-hungry, over-achieving, sophisticated, unkind and non-altruistic 30-50 year olds,” MyType’s Tim Koelkebeck told Wired.com.

But you know what? Pfft! I come from a long line of early adopters. I was forced into taking a WordPerfect class with the fam at the Community College when I was 14 or so. We had a personal computer, that had to cost, 100% of disposable income for the year because my dad was convinced, “THIS IS THE FUTURE.”

So, instead of shoes and clothes, I buy gadgets and books. And yes, as some have found out, I do have a shelf of Tolkien books. Yes, I am that big of a nerd. Am I tech elitist? Probably. It’s fun.

The only thing that gives my unapologetic tech-lust pause is this from probable Journolister Michael Shear (too lazy to check) at the Washington Post:

The folks who gather early every morning in the West Wing office of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel have something new in common these days. Practically everyone has an iPad — or will have one very soon.

Emanuel just got his, as did senior adviser David Axelrod and deputy press secretary Bill Burton. Both communications director Dan Pfeiffer and press wrangler Ben Finkenbinder have one on order. Economic adviser Larry Summers takes his to staff meetings.

The device is the hot, new White House toy, a gizmo that is popping up around Washington but seems to be particularly in vogue at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Not only that, but the DC minions have scarily similar Apps to me:

Emanuel has “all the newspaper apps,” says a top aide, and has installed the iBooks app so he can read books on the device, just like on a Kindle. A friend recalled recently that “when Rahm’s arrived in the mail, his kids kept calling asking when he was getting home so they could open it. Cute.”

But does Emanuel have two screens of kids games for his children? Does he? I do. And good luck finding my iPad. The kids abscond with it.

For those of you wondering how I use the iPad, here goes:

1. I use the iPad for travel. It is FABULOUS on airplanes and airports. I have the 3G model, so no foolin with WiFi hotspots. Email, social media, news, everything. And of course, my Kindle app, so I can read a book. In the car, this is just as great. Bigger maps, interesting sight-seeing. Greatness.

2. I use it in bed. Not like that, you dirty mind! So, everyone is watching TV, I can keep up and it’s seemless. By the way, I use Echofon and Tweetdeck. I can catch up on my RSS feeds, play games, check email and it doesn’t weigh as much as a laptop. To this point, buy the Apple made iPad holder. It’s perfect: Apple iPad Case (CASE-ZML MC361ZM/A)

3. I use it in the kitchen. I listen to the radio (no interference). I look up recipes. I keep track of email and the internet.

Basically, the iPad is a device that is fun and usable. It’s also expensive and unnecessary. But so are boats. And strappy heels. And cable. And flat screen TVS.

The iPad is a luxury I love.

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