What’s the one thing in common with all early adopters? They get screwed when the second generation device hits the streets. More features, fewer bugs, lower price tag. Ernie Varitimos in Apple Investor walks through all his early adopter Apple purchases, starting with the Apple IIe, the Lisa, a 128k Mac, all the way down to the iPhone. Now, the iPad cometh—without a camera.

Look, I know that early adopters nearly always get screwed, it’s the hazards of our obsession. But at some point, you’ve got to wonder if the company you love is calculating just how much they can screw you before you cry foul. Unfortunately, it looks like some Apple loonians are willing to be screwed over and over again. I think I’ll wait for the camera version this time.

Sigh. I’m torn between jumping in with both feet, or maintaining some discipline and waiting for the camera version of the iPad.