“Transmeta, the most well-known secret chip start-up in recent
memory, has set out to challenge embedded and desktop processors
alike with a unique combination of low-power hardware and adaptable
software. The result is likely to be a platform that should
entrance developers even as OEMs take a long hard look at the
technology. Transmeta developed the chip, a custom Linux operating
system, designed by Linux creator and Transmeta software engineer
Linus Torvalds, plus some application software. The result is a
true platform from a single source, something that perhaps only Sun
Microsystems and IBM have been able to pull off.”
“One of the hardest things for designers to do is to leave
things out,” Transmeta’s CEO David Ditzel told Electronic
Engineering Times in December 1998.”
“But that’s the premise of Transmeta’s new “Crusoe” chip family
— the TM5400 and TM3120. By eliminating dedicated hardware
transistors and replacing them with a dynamic translation layer
just below the operating system, the architecture reduces die size,
cuts power, and allows for high clock speeds.“
Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.
LinuxToday is a trusted, contributor-driven news resource supporting all types of Linux users. Our thriving international community engages with us through social media and frequent content contributions aimed at solving problems ranging from personal computing to enterprise-level IT operations. LinuxToday serves as a home for a community that struggles to find comparable information elsewhere on the web.
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