Everything PC

About Everything PC

Everything PC is a weekly podcast series aimed at South African and global computer enthusiasts. Hosted by Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretrorius, season 1 takes a deep dive into the semiconductor industry, with episodes dedicated to AMD, Intel, Nvidia and Apple.

Publisher

TechCentral

Category

news · technology

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

9 May 2022

Latest episode

4 Feb 2024

Latest episodes

13 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Feb 2024

   TechCentral announces TCS Legends

   TechCentral, the publisher of South Africa’s leading business technology podcasts, is thrilled to announce the launch of TCS Legends. The new show will feature interviews with (and about) some of the leading figures who helped shape South Africa’s technology industry into what it is today. As the show’s name implies, we’ll be interviewing leading figures who achieved great things in – and for – the tech sector in South Africa. From PCs to IT services and software to telecoms, TCS Legends features some of the leading figures in the industry over the last 30 years. With season 1 launching later in February, TCS Legends is a by-invitation-only, editorially driven tech show that builds on TechCentral’s credible, market-leading multimedia productions, including the TechCentral Show (TCS) and TCS+. TCS Legends is powered by Mitel. For all your unified communications and customer experience needs, visit Mitel.com.

2. 

   28 Oct 2022

   S02E06 - 'The gear we want, the gear we must have'

   What's the coolest PC tech in the world right now, the stuff we just have to have, budget be damned? In the final episode of season 2 of Everything PC, hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius try to answer this question by picking 10 of the very best bits of tech available today, from insane monitors, like Samsung's new Odyssey Ark, to AMD's screeching-fast latest desktop processors. Basically, the tech we are lusting after right now. Everything PC season 2 is sponsored by HP and Microsoft. Until season 3, thanks for watching/listening, and happy computing!

3. 

   21 Oct 2022

   S02E05 - 'A window on HP'

   In this special episode of Everything PC, HP Southern Africa regional director Yesh Surjoodeen and Microsoft South Africa chief operating officer Colin Erasmus are in the studio. They join show hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius for a discussion on what they do best in this show: personal computers, with a focus on Windows 11. HP and Microsoft are sponsors of season 2 of Everything PC. In the discussion, Erasmus talks about how Windows 11 has been received by the local market. He also unpacks the 22H2 release, and the new features it brings to PC users. Surjoodeen talks about the demerger of HP and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and the impact that had on the local operations. He also chats about HP’s PC line-up, especially its laptops. Erasmus then delves into Microsoft Work Trend Index report, which surveyed companies around the world, including in South Africa, and what it found about workplace trends and the hybrid workforce. And being Everything PC, there’s plenty of talk about semiconductors, PC peripherals and plenty more besides. Don’t miss the show – and please subscribe if you haven’t already (details below).

4. 

   14 Oct 2022

   S02E04 - 'Mac, Mac, Mac, Mac, Mac, Mac'

   This is the South African technology show all about personal computers. This season of Everything PC is sponsored by HP and Microsoft. In episode 4 of season 2, hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius tackle the world of Mac and macOS. They discuss: * What Apple does well and what Apple doesn't do well * The benefits and disadvantages Apple's "walled garden" * Windows vs macOS * Gerhard's view of macOS as a hardcore PC user - spoiler: he's not at all complimentary * The poor repairability of Apple hardware * Apple silicon: is it better than what's available in the Windows PC world? Even if you don't use a Mac, we're sure you'll love this episode. And if you do enjoy this content, please subscribe to this show and TechCentral’s other technology shows on YouTube or through your favourite audio platform.

5. 

   9 Oct 2022

   S02E03 - 'Linux, Linux (almost) everywhere'

   This is the South African technology show all about personal computers. This season of Everything PC is sponsored by HP and Microsoft. In episode 3 of season 2, hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius have a look at the world of open-source software and Linux. They discuss: * The latest tech news * Why Linux runs on everything - from toasters to the cloud - except the desktop OpenOffice and Libre Office * Why Linux mail clients are so poor? * How Microsoft learned to love Linux - or did it? * Why Windows is becoming more like Linux, and could in fact become a hybrid * Windows/Linux over time * Popular Linux distros * Why PC makers don't make their own Linux distros * Gaming on Linux If you enjoy this content, please subscribe to this show and TechCentral’s other technology shows on YouTube or through your favourite audio platform.

6. 

   2 Oct 2022

   S02E02 - 'The house that Bill built'

   This is the South African technology show all about personal computers. This season of Everything PC is sponsored by HP and Microsoft. In episode 2 of season 2, hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius chat everything Windows and Microsoft. Among other things, they discuss: * Does Microsoft still care about Windows? * Does the operating still matter? * Windows 11 - how is it, and are we getting Windows 12 soon? * Does Microsoft really love open source and Linux? * Windows as a service and Windows in the cloud * Microsoft as a hardware player with the Surface line-up - is it working? Don't miss the show, and if you don't already subscribe to TechCentral, please do so.

7. 

   23 Sept 2022

   S02E01 - 'The fat little kid'

   The South African technology show all about personal computers is back for season 2. This season is sponsored by HP and Microsoft. In episode 1 of the new season, hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius chat about developments at the big chip companies covered in season 1, including Intel, AMD and Nvidia. They then look forward to what's coming in the world of PCs for the rest of the year, including a looming battle over next-generation GPUs between AMD and Nvidia. A new segment of the show also looks back at technologies from decades ago - and this week Gerhard has brought in an ancient Maxtor hard drive.

8. 

   15 Jun 2022

   S01E06 - 'Apple Silicon'

   In the final episode of season 1 of TechCentral’s Everything PC show, hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius discuss Apple’s decision to design its own chips for Mac. There’s no doubt that Apple’s decision to ditch Intel in favour of its own silicon designs – the chips are made by Taiwan’s TSMC – has had a significant impact, not only on the company, but on the broader computer industry. Apple’s latest computers, based on the M1 chip (and more recently, the M2), are fast and energy efficient. They have also caught the attention of the Windows PC world. But just how good is Apple Silicon, and what will it take for the PC industry to catch up – as it transpires, AMD is not far behind, but it’s a much more challenging picture for Intel. But just how innovative is Apple being with its own silicon, and how heavily it leaning on innovation by its partner, TSMC? Though Apple has made significant advances with its own silicon, there is a side to the story it’s less keen for its users to hear. We unpack what this is in the final episode of season 1.

9. 

   8 Jun 2022

   S01E05 - 'Nvidia: The Green Goblin'

   Nvidia is one of the most interesting – and controversial – companies in the computer industry today. In episode 5 of TechCentral’s new podcast series, Everything PC, show hosts Gerhard Pretorius and Duncan McLeod tackle the “Green Goblin” – Pretorius’s description for Nvidia – and have a look at why it is simultaneously admired, feared and even loathed in the computer industry. Founded almost 30 years ago by Taiwanese-American businessman and technologist Jensen Huang -- who continues to serves as CEO -- Nvidia was (and is) a pioneer in computer graphics. But the company’s rise to the top has been littered with controversies, including aggressive litigation. Topics discussed in this episode include: * Where the name Nvidia comes from * Why Nvidia is not particularly liked by its industry peers * Why the company tried to buy ARM (and why it failed) The GPU shortage and why it’s finally easing * Why the data centre is so important for Nvidia – and how did a GPU maker end up as a major player in the data centre? * What can gamers look forward to in the RTX 4000 line being introduced later this year? * Much more besides Don’t miss the discussion!

10. 

    1 Jun 2022

    S01E04 - 'The story of Intel - part 2'

    We continue our exploration of the Intel Corporation this week in episode 4 of Everything PC, this time looking at the current challenges facing the chip giant -- and what comes next under the leadership of Pat Gelsinger. In part 1 of this double episode of Everything PC, your hosts Gerhard Pretorius and Duncan McLeod unpacked the history of one of the most storied companies in Silicon Valley -- how it built the PC industry and also how it eventually lost its mojo. In part 2, we unpack how Gelsinger is trying to fix the mess left by his recent predecessors in the CEO role and ask: can he turn the ship around? Specifically, we look at: * Why Intel is getting into the discrete GPU market * Intel's future in server environments and data centres * The latest and future microprocessor designs from Intel -- is it time to excited yet? * The threat from ARM, TSMC and Apple Don't miss the discussion!

11. 

    25 May 2022

    S01E03: 'The story of Intel - part 1'

    In the third episode of Everything PC, we begin our adventure into the world of Intel, the company that in many respects started it all back in 1968. In this episode, the first of a two-parter, Everything PC hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius look at the storied history of Intel, from its founding by chemist Gordon Moore and physicist Robert Noyce, to its chip designs that helped create and their transform the personal computer industry. In many respects, Intel is the flip side of the AMD story, which we covered in episodes 1 and 2 of Everything PC - and we do recommend starting with those if you are new to the show (welcome). In this episode, we unpack Intel’s early history and its phenomenal rise in the 1980s and 1990s, and how it later lost its mojo amid management upheavals and other self-inflicted wounds. Part 2 of the Intel story, in which we look at the company’s future prospects under the leadership of Pat Gelsinger, will be published next week.

12. 

    17 May 2022

    S01E02 - 'AMD: Ryzen from the dead - part 2'

    Welcome back to Everything PC, and to the second episode of this brand new South African podcast that’s aimed at computer enthusiasts and technologists. In the second part of a two-parter on Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Everything PC hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius unpack the Silicon Valley company’s bumpy history, its fights with Intel and why it’s emerging, after five decades in the business, as a powerhouse in semiconductors. The podcast covers the most important milestones in AMD’s history, including its licensing agreement with Intel to start making x86 chips, its deal to buy graphics chip maker ATi and its recently blockbuster, US$50-billion acquisition of Xylinx – and why it could change everything in the chip business!

13. 

    9 May 2022

    S01E01 - 'AMD: Ryzen from the dead - part 1'

    Welcome to the first-ever episode of Everything PC, a new South African podcast aimed squarely at computer enthusiasts. In this episode, the first of a two-parter, your hosts Duncan McLeod and Gerhard Pretorius unpack why Advanced Micro Devices - the US chip company better known as AMD - is worth watching. In fact, AMD has a fascinating history, which we unpack in some detail in part 1 of this two-parter episode. Having been founded within months of rival Intel, the companies have had a love-hate relationship for decades. But AMD is on the rise, for various reasons, and is set to give Intel a proper run for its money in the next few years. In this podcast, we unpack why: what is AMD doing right, why has its market capitalisation topped Intel's this year (albeit briefly), why is its "fabless" approach to chip making playing to its advantage, why is its alliance with Taiwan's TSMC so important, and what comes next? We hope you enjoy Everything PC as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. We will push out the first few episodes through TechCentral's podcasting and YouTube channels, but we encourage you to subscribe to the podcasts by searching for Everything PC in your favourite podcatcher. More details about how to subscribe are included lower down on this page.