systems
Every show now is an AI show, and that included this year's Computex
KETTLE El Reg's systems editor Tobias Mann has been in Taipei for the past week getting the skinny on the hottest new chips, and what he's heard has been less about actual hardware announcements and more about how chipmakers are rushing to meet the demands of AI, other customers be damned. Tobias joins host Brandon Vigliarolo to discuss what he noticed at Computex 2026, how AI has taken over yet another industry event, and whether the world is going to have to adjust to new, more expensive hardware that only the biggest datacenter operators and wealthiest consumers are going to be able to afford. Will things stabilize? Will prices return to normal? We're not so sure, to be honest.
You can listen to The Kettle here, as well as on Spotify and Apple Music, or read the transcript of the latest episode below. It's been lightly edited for clarity.
Brandon (00:01)Fire up the hob, it's time for another episode of The Register’s Kettle Podcast. And we're even more international than usual this week, as our systems editor Tobias Mann has been in Taiwan scoping out this year's Computex conference. If you're curious about what's coming from chip market leaders this year, you've come to the right place. Tobias, it's really good to see you from the other side of the globe.Tobias Mann (00:21)Yeah, a whole twelve hours ahead, right? If I don't have it confused in my head. But it yeah, it's good to be here.Brandon (00:29)Yeah, it's kind of late for you, so we'll try to we'll try to keep this concise so we don't keep you from from some sleep. So I think you filed a number of stories this week about Computex, like quite a few. so talk us through some of the biggest announcements or or news items that have come out of this year's show.Tobias Mann (00:46)Yeah, yeah. It's been a it's been a wild week here in Taiwan and and at least for the first half of it it was sunny and warm rather than the last half, which has been rainy and warm.
