What's on your tech wish list?

This season I'm finally on my way to buy a 12.9" iPad Pro to do my illustration with. I have other devices that I can draw on as well that do the same thing, and also allow me to use the full Adobe Suite, which the iPad Pro does not. I'll be stuck using apps that don't have anywhere near the power. But I've decided that that's less important to me than the fact that the Apple Pencil is one of the best input devices I've tried. I've spent quite a bit of borrowed time doing sketches and writing, and am impressed. I do think the mobility and quick on/off could lead to higher productivity and possibly more income.

Yes, there are a few cheaper devices that do much the same thing and are also portable. But they are smaller and more long and thin, and I love the size and proportions of the iPad Pro. It is absurd to pay so much for a glorified stylus, and the fact that there's no place to tether it to the tablet is annoying.

I do not plan to buy a keyboard case, as though they are nice, that adds so much weight. I will get a hard, lightweight shell with a soft lining and will use my Bluetooth keyboard.

Traveling with my regular iPad, I was able to dispense with a lot of other things, such as phone, camera, and laptop, for day trips. But it's time for an upgrade. I will save so much time on my sketches. I like that it's a flat tablet and not attached to a keyboard. The smaller iPad Pro, even though its color accuracy is slightly higher, and it's easier to throw in a shoulder bag, would be too small for my drawing needs.

Besides the iPad Pro, I'm still shopping for a phone–considering a Samsung Galaxy and an iPhone. If I got the iPhone, I'd be in the Apple ecosystem. But my anti-authority streak doesn't love this idea. I really phones where you can remove the battery–so that means an LG or older Samsung. I don't really like Android, but I don't like the idea of having to send my phone back, or pry it open, or pay someone to do that, for something so basic as a battery.

I also would love a Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S pen. Its Wacom pen makes it a strong competitor to the iPad. I would not mind that. I have larger pens I can use. But I still want that larger screen.

Also on my list is some VR software. I've got a headset and a couple of Google Cardboards. But I haven't educated myself about what's out there. Documentaries and arty things interest me the most. VR is a really exciting field. I'm already seeing a huge range of quality, and I find that interesting too–I've seen stuff I'd call mass market, even cheesy, and I cheer it on. I like that it can be made by the people, by non-experts, as a means of self-expression or a side business. That's how it should be–it says that it's gotten much easier to learn to use the tools. Maybe a Grandma Moses of VR will emerge.

High-quality VR is what I really look forward to–tech that provokes empathy and other emotions via storytelling and art. It's a powerful tool and I fear it getting into the wrong hands.

What's NOT on my list is smart this and smart that. I do not think the Internet of Things provides enough security. I will not be getting an Echo or Alexa–to me that's a step on the journey to couch potato, which I fight against.

I do hope to get a fitness tracker of some kind, just a basic one, not one that monitors my blood pressure and sends a report to my health insurance company (hyperbole there–I think).

The last thing on my list is a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens for my DSLR. Not a priority, since it's just a hobby for me, but more like fun, creative toys (and face it, it's all toys. And nothing is wrong with that).

People's tech lists can tell a lot about them. I've gotten away from a desire to have a lot of little gadgets and desire multitasking ones.

The one thing I really need is one of those keychains that you whistle to that first came out in I think the 1970s. Of course, if my keys are lost in the house, then I won't be able to go anywhere, and would have to stay home entertain myself with all my splendid new gadgets.