By Jo Ticehurst, VNU Net
Hitachi will launch a notebook PC based on Transmeta’s Crusoe
microprocessor in November, but the device will not be on sale in
Europe.
A spokeswoman for Hitachi confirmed that a Transmeta-based
notebook would be launched in Japan and the United States, “but we
have no plans to sell the product in Europe,” she said.
Hitachi, IBM, Gateway and Sony are the only companies to commit
to launching products based on Transmeta’s low power consumption
Crusoe chip, which it claims prolongs the battery life in ultra
lightweight computers.
Compaq said it is considering using the chip, whereas notebook
specialist Toshiba said it has no current plans to include the chip
in any of its products — even though it is an investor in
Transmeta.
Crusoe enables lightweight notebooks to provide up to eight
hours of battery life. It includes Transmeta’s LongRun power
management technology, which enables the processor to optimise its
performance to the actual application it is running, while
continually adjusting its speed and voltage so that it delivers the
maximum battery life.
Transmeta said the ultra light notebook designs are also
quieter, because the Crusoe chip does not require noisy fans to
keep cool.