- guardian.co.uk, Friday August 8 2008 13.50 BST
What's your favourite piece of technology?
My MacBook.
How has it improved your life?
I no longer have to wait for the PC shutdown noise before closing the laptop. Petty, I know, but so much more fun just to open and close as desired. I am easily pleased.
When was the last time you used it, and what for?
For writing my answers to this interview, updating my schedule, checking Google Docs, for my Heathrow Express barcode and for writing the intro to my new book. Being a woman, all this was done at the same time, of course.
What additional features would you add if you could?
Voice recognition, although not sure how it will fare against a good Scottish brogue.
Do you think it will be obsolete in 10 years' time?
Not obsolete, just moved on to a whole new level.
What one tip would you give to non-MacBook users?
Macs are more fun.
Do you consider yourself to be a Luddite or a nerd?
I flail in between. I am battling my way out of a Luddite gene pool, but I am not a nerd. I am a lover of someone who is "good with computers" but also not a nerd. So that's not a nerd, twice removed.
What's the most expensive piece of technology you've ever owned?
A Toshiba handwriting recognition PC that had no CD drive and therefore was useless. My writing is also terrible, so it had a hard time. It was a nerd's idea.
Mac or PC?
Mac, but a recent conversion.
What song is at the top of your iPod's top-25 most played list?
American Idiot, by Green Day, because it has become my running song. I like the routine of the same music — I can tell if I am doing well or not by what track I am on by the top of the hill.
Will robots rule the world?
Nah.
What piece of technology would you most like to own?
A time machine so I can avoid airports. Never have we as a society been so hoodwinked into thinking that somehow flying is remotely glamorous.
Amanda Hamilton co-presents Something For The Weekend, on BBC2 Sunday mornings
