So I'm a bit ignorant about the mobile phone industry. So Im trying to figure out what makes a power user. I figure it is some that lives and breaths with their phone. BUT I would like to get more precise. Like does it include:

• The 16yo who sends 100 sms's, plays games and listens to music all day?
• The corporate lackey who talks for 4hr / day, does email and schedules meetings etc.
• The techy who like to code on their device

We use this terminology all the time but im curious what it really means. cos imho they are all "power users" in different ways, and the first example is probably the most intense user out of the group, but, i think we often forget about him.

Let's not overcomplicate things

Power user is generally a person who knows everything there is to know about the device and makes good use of the features.

Obviously the power users of Nokia candy bar phones (the old, non ip-friendly model) were different than the future power users of the N900.

The N900 will redefine the term power users. They'll finally be able to code the kitchen sink accessory for their phones and write scripts to make 'em sandwiches.

Is that realistic, it will take power users from being 10-20% of potential users to being maybe 1%? When I get my n900 in a few weeks will I never be able to be a power user because i can't / don't code my own apps?

Techniclally, the answer to that question is "marketing."

Eactly as Ysss said, its a ever-changing term - what power user today will definitely be different from tomorrow technology.

And its really a subjective term - I hardly think you can strictly define it.
But just understanding the full potential of your device and using it to the hilt would be what a power user does (unlike say using a phone to shoot photos only or phoning with a camera.)

Term definition is fun!

But yeah, "power user" can mean many things in many contexts. There are power users of particular hardware or software, and then there are those of us who cross great technological chasms in order to know a lot about many things.

We scoff at the pitiful term "power users" though, and at any attempts to place us into boxes. There are no words to describe us.

A power user: one who uses electricity or gas.

I think it means someone that heavily relies on multiple features of a particular device, and maybe one or two not so obvious features of that device. The general concensus would probably be the users that are early adopters of new features and those that develop new use cases for these devices.

The power users of the PC in the 90's is the power user of the smart device today.

Honestly, though, there will be a new segment created by this device. The power user doesn't apply to the devs. I'd consider them the trailblazers and mavericks of the market. (I prefer Mavericks myself. GO DIRK!!) The "tinkerers" will be a new market, and the N900 is the only game in town. All other devices need another device for making apps, but not this one.

Agreed. Though I traditionally think of power users as users who use the device in ways the company designing it never designed or thought it could do. So even with the n900 there would be people who expand the n900 past what most people think it could do and people that follow said people expanding the path.

I already can't wait for the first over-clocked n900