I think it is still hard for people to grasp that even getting in now constitutes an early adopter. (I speak to many people due to my job and most say "I won't pay $100 for 1 BTC." but they fail to realize they are thinking about things wrongly. e.g. not considering float, divisibility, state of finance everywhere, etc.)
As a new guy, I wholeheartedly agree. I don't think they realize the implications of it all. There is so much potential. And now the momentum is there too.
When the price graph is the only piece of information that you treat most seriously, you're ignoring all the context that gives the price meaning. Alot of newbies do just that (been there). The panic buying that accompanies USD slump is going to be quite something.