“Transmeta’s new idea here was not to use silicon itself to
solve the problem but to use software,” Ditzel said of the idea as
it hatched five years ago.”
“A software-driven chip could bring new benefits to
microprocessing – easier design in less time by fewer people and
lower manufacturing costs. A simpler chip wouldn’t require as many
power-hungry transistors, he said.”
“As work on the Crusoe project progressed, more advantages came
to light. “Software could actually learn about your program as it
is running on your computer, enabling us to build what we call the
first smart microprocessor,” Ditzel said. “The processor can
learn about your program and learn to improve its performance with
time and actually save battery power as it runs.“