"My name is MB and I'm an addict" is what I would say at the first Early Adopters Anonymous meeting.
I'm driven by an addiction to try a product as soon as possible, at the earliest point in its life cycle and I can (silently) admit to it being a compulsive behavior. It's not that I don't enjoy it, but I feel that's what I should do with every new product that I can get my geeky hands on. Yes, that's the second confession, and I'm fairly certain it will not be the last either.
From my point of view, blatant consumerism doesn't cut it and only those walking the "geeky way" are the true early adopters; it's a way of doing things that characterizes it, not the simple act of getting hold of a product with no intention of using it.