What's your favourite piece of technology, and how has it improved your life?
I would say the vibrator, and it's done wonders for my marriage! No, my favourite piece of technology is the iPad. My wife has one, and I'm foolishly waiting for the next one to come out. I love technology, and I love new gadgets. I can no longer figure out how to use any of them, but I love them.

When was the last time you used it, and what for?
When I tried to grab it away from my wife, to get her to pay attention to me.

What additional features would you add if you could?
I think they've got to put a video camera in there, which I have a feeling they will. And probably even a telephone – why not, you may as well carry everything in the one gadget.

Do you think it will be obsolete in 10 years' time?
Of course. It's Moore's Law, everything will be obsolete in 10 years – I'll be obsolete in 10 years!

What always frustrates you about technology in general?
The most frustrating thing is that I want to always buy the best thing, the thing that does the most stuff. But then when I get it I just don't have the patience to figure out how to do all these things.

If you had one tip about getting the best out of new technology, what would it be?
I would say to find someone who knows what they're doing, and get them to speak slowly while they show you how to use it. And don't use anything that's going to take more of your time than it's worth. With all these machines and stuff, we seem to have less time now – we're just doing more, and obsessed with all the technology. One needs to, at least occasionally, take a step back and free yourself from technology. My problem is that I like technology, but I always have to ask myself, "Now wait a minute, will I actually have any use for this?"

Do you consider yourself to be a luddite or a nerd?
I'm somewhere in between, as I guess everyone probably is, but I'm definitely not a luddite. I love gadgetry, so I think my basic personality is probably nerd. There was someone who said that everybody falls into one of two categories: either a nerd or an asshole. Hopefully I'm the nerd.

What's the most expensive piece of technology you've ever owned?
I have a screening room at my house, which is quite wonderful. But I have these two beautiful 35mm projectors, and they're now practically obsolete – everything's now digital.

Mac or PC, and why?
Mac, definitely – I'm a big Mac guy. First of all, it's more intuitive. And I love the style of the Macs. Any time something new comes out, I can't wait – it's really a lust thing.

Do you still buy physical media such as CDs and DVDs, or do you download? What was your last purchase?
I do a little of both, but I still do get hard copies. There's no question, though, that in a few years computers won't even have trays for CDs and DVDs any more. I think all your software and everything will be downloaded, and movies will be streamed. You won't need hard copies of anything. And I don't buy a lot of DVDs – I'll rent them. Also, I get a lot of movies from the Academy, because it's awards season. So right around now I'm starting to get all these movies sent to me, which is great, so I don't have to buy them. I don't remember the last movie I bought.

Robot butlers – a good idea or not?
I think that's a great idea, but I think they're a little way off.

What piece of technology would you most like to own?
Maybe a Virgin Galactic plane that goes up into space – that would be fun, I'd get a kick out of that.

• Writer and director Jerry Zucker was in London for a 30th anniversary screening of Airplane! as part of the London comedy film festival