This week’s guests include outspoken podcaster and commentator Peter Cohen. This week, Peter and Gene talk about the fate of Apple’s cheapest personal computer, the Mac mini, the downgraded 2014 version, and what sort of upgrade might be in the pipeline in light of positive comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook. Peter explains why he feels that Apple has taken the wrong direction with the mini. Gene and Peter talk about low-end printers, and about using third-party toner. A good idea? What about the Apple TV 4K? Overpriced, not compelling enough to boost sales? The segment moves into pop culture, where Gene and Peter discuss Star Trek fandom, TV super heroes and similar subjects, as Gene recalls meeting some of the stars of the original Star Trek series at a convention in 1975.

In a special encore presentation, you’ll also hear from columnist Joe Wilcox, who writes for BetaNews. He explains why he recently switched from T-Mobile to Verizon Wireless, mostly to improve coverage, but is now considering a return to the former. The discussion covers the ongoing dilemma of choosing the right carrier. And what about published reports that T-Mobile and Sprint, the two smallest carriers in the U.S., might be ready to ink a deal and merge? It’s not the first time this has been rumored. Gene and Joe will also talk about the new productivity features in iOS 11, and whether they might impact the use of the iPad as a productivity tool. There will also be a brief discussion of macOS High Sierra before the conversation moves to the Apple Watch Series 3, which comes in a version with LTE so you can use it to make phone calls without connecting it to an iPhone. Does this big step now liberate the Apple Watch so it can do most things all by itself? Does the future take us away from a big smartphone to a tiny smartwatch?