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Transmeta OK'd for Mira Displays
viewstyle writes "eweek is reporting that Transmeta's Crusoe chip has been approved by Microsoft for use in the Mira smart displays -- a move that further edges out AMD and Intel from the mobile processor marketplace."
Microsoft has been showing less and less interest in being an exclusive "partner" with our good friends at Intel... Maybe MS is taking the Tel out of WinTel.
Don't count out Intel quite yet. The Pentium-M is still one of, if not the best mobile pure x86 processors out there. The rumor that Intel is additionally working on an ultra-ultra low-power version of the chip(600mhz, smaller L2 cache) would further prop themselves up in the Mira market, with their brand name tagging along for the ride. Transmeta has had a lot of problems so far breaking in to the US market, and I don't see them winning that easily so soon, especially with Chipzilla on the lookout.
What they're talking about here is giving the display some processing power of its own, so that it's more like a laptop that runs a terminal off of your main computer. If you're doing something on it, it won't cause your main computer to slow down (much), whereas the smart display uses a lot more of your computer's resources. Doesn't sound like a huge deal to me, except that it should be cheaper and more portable than a laptop.
Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.
-- Dr. Spock, stardate 2822-3.
I don't get this "smart display" business. It sounds like a display with a CPU, some memory, and a wireless network interface, and a battery. In other words, it is a full-blown computer. Maybe (probably) the operating system is crippleware, but it sounds to me like you could put some proper software on there and use it like a wireless X11 terminal. Bonus: remote X11 users don't "monopolize the PC while they are running".
So far in 2003, Transmeta has reported a net revenue of $6 million. (these numbers taken from Transmeta press releases)
These numbers are paltry compared to the industry giants Intel and AMD (especialy Intel), but they do reflect stability and massive growth since Q1 2002. No, Transmeta is no direct threat to Intel or AMD, but they deserve to be taken seriously nevertheless. The underdog is always forced to innovate, and market hype can swing an extra $2 to $3 million in revenue towards a company like Transmeta. Remember, we all laughed at AMD, too.
As for all of the negative comments, cmon, what do you expect? This is Slashdot afterall, and the creator of Linux works in a rather prominent role at Transmeta. This is exciting and encouraging to us Linux geeks.
The price gouging of their hardware, however, is just too much to bear. They are great for people that need them for very specific purposes (much like Linux, as a matter of fact), but the price of the hardware is just way too much for me.
Compaq just has a habit of making laptops that overheat, and attempting to beat the customer into submission with sluggish support people who make you go through the whole rigamarole every time the box breaks again.
I had a PIII laptop a few years back that went in for service five times (and cost me about two man-weeks of support phone calls). I finally gave up, and sent certified letters to the president, and VP of the laptop division. A couple of days later (I lived in Houston at the time), the laptop division guy called, apologized and sent us the next model up (with DVD upgrade, faster CPU though it was a Celery that ran cooler) the next day.
I won't complain too much, because I'm still using that same laptop. Though the battery life is slightly less than 23 seconds, on a good day. (Ok, seriously, the battery lasts about 20 minutes, and never did much better than that, even when new.)
By the way, the C3 chip produced by VIA Technology will do the same job just as well.
But... Linus works for Transmeta so lets get excited about Transmeta... and compare them to Intel and AMD...,
:)
VIA @4% market share
Transmeta less than 1%
Lets try to remember that despite all the good intentions, design wins and Microsoft approvals won't keep Transmeta afloat... sales will.
VIA will probably knock Intel out of the desktop market before Transmeta knocks anyone out of anywhere
Transmeta is hemorraging cash far faster than their revenue is growing. If they don't pull something out of their sleave but quick, they won't be around long enough to realize any of their code morphing dreams.
Actually, this is still true.
:P
Transmeta is now "edging out" (or perhaps more accurately "edging in on") Intel's StrongARM processor, not Intel's x86. Transmeta is putting the x86-compatible Crusoe in places where previously only embedded chips like ARM and MIPs were thriving. (Though the NS Geode has already made some inroads...)
To boldly go where no x86 has gone before...
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
In the case of Intel and MS, both Intel and MS want there to be active competition for the other. Hence MS will support competitors to Intel in order to drive down CPU prices, and Intel will support Linux in order to drive down OS prices. Both will support a multiplicity of mobo makers, hard drive makers, video chipset makers and anyone else in order to keep those areas as low-priced commodities. I suspect that the current duopily in the graphics chipset market is causing both of them some concern. If either Nvidia or ATI win the bulk of the market then they will be able to start charging proprietary prices (to some extent they already are at the higher end) and thereby take away money from both Intel and MS. From the POV of ATI and Nvidia of course they want lots of competition for both Intel and MS, which helps to explain why both of them are taking the trouble to support Linux when the Linux share of the desktop graphics market is still under 1%.
Paul.
You are lost in a twisty maze of little standards, all different.