Weekly Poll: Pre-launch Apps and You

It’s easy to think there’s always something new in the world of technology. With CES and Macworld, Twitter and Techmeme, there’s a million new things that, all in all, are the same old thing in the latest wrapping. Essentially.

Actually, gadgets themselves, by themselves, aren’t that important anymore. Just like a TV with no good shows or movies isn’t very useful, a smartphone, tablet, or computer isn’t very useful at all without great apps. That’s what makes web apps exciting: they’re apps that can run on almost anything with a browser. Even your HP Touchpad will still have new web apps it can use for years to come, since it has a browser.

So it’s easier for many of us to get more excited about software than hardware. This is AppStorm, after all! I’ve submitted my email to dozens of pre-launch app sites so I’ll get to know when they’re ready to try out, and I’ve done that for years before I was writing about new apps for a job. Sometimes, it’s just fun to create a new account and try out the latest web apps out there, and it’s even more fun when one happens to fit perfectly into your life and workflow in ways you never imagined. But, of course, usually we create new app accounts, only to forget them weeks (or minutes) later.

So how about you? Do you signup to hear about the latest app releases and try out apps the first, or do you wait until something’s mainstream before you tried it? Were you one of the first people you knew who had a Google Wave account, or did you wait to get Facebook until even your Grandmother signed up? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!