An alpha geek is a tech-savvy person who experiments with new technology and is often an early adopter. They may tinker with new devices and explore their capabilities, and can provide advice to friends and colleagues. They may also “crack” new devices to explore how they work and identify potential issues.
An alpha geek is someone who experiments with new technologies and often has a high level of proficiency with technology. As “alpha” implies, alpha freaks tend to be at the forefront and are often used as pointers to predict the future of technology. In an office environment, the services of an alpha geek may also be required when coworkers are having computer problems.
This term appears to date back to around 1995, when it was originally mostly used to describe someone with a lot of skill when it comes to using technology. In 2002, people were also using the term to describe early adopters, whether or not they were power users of the technology. This is an important distinction: A tech-savvy alpha geek may, for example, tinker with new devices to explore their capabilities, while an early adopter might just be content to like the new technology, but not explore it excessively. Some early adopters are actually quite useless when it comes to fixing technology or investigating how things work.
Alpha geeks are often literate on computing platforms and can feel comfortable in a range of schedules and environments. They use an assortment of devices, ranging from the latest cell phones to high-tech kitchen gadgets, and many feel the need to be seen as cutting edge when it comes to technology. This can lead an alpha geek to pursue obscure or fancy technology to impress people. Alpha geeks also tend to be early adopters of new developments on the internet.
In the case of tech-savvy people in addition to being interested in new technology, alpha geeks may consider “cracking” new devices as a personal mission. When something is released to the market, these alpha geeks buy it in order to take it apart, deconstruct it, and explore the ways it works. Often, this can lead to benefits for the company releasing the product, as alpha geeks can identify potential security holes and other issues that went undetected during development.
You can usually identify an alpha geek pretty easily. Alpha geeks tend to own a lot of tech toys and often enjoy dark discussions about technology. They can also provide a great deal of advice, unsolicited or unsolicited, to friends and colleagues. This can sometimes be quite useful; a consultation with an alpha geek before a new purchase can sometimes save the heartache later.
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