"Just last summer, everyone in the computer industry was
talking about the Transmeta chip, called Crusoe. Now everybody's
talking behind Transmeta's back. And Crusoe has been cast away
by IBM and Dell, a fate strangely similar to its namesake, author
Daniel Defoe's exasperated exile in Robinson Crusoe. What accounts
for this reversal in fortune?"
"Simply put, marketing and manufacturing miscues, combined
with newfound competition, have left Crusoe stranded in a niche
market, its prospects suddenly in doubt."
"It wasn't supposed to be this way. After years of secrecy,
Transmeta unveiled Crusoe in January 2000 to intense media
interest. To a Wintel-weary world, the chip seemed
revolutionary."
