Transmeta, Chip Patents Up for Sale

"Transmeta, the chip maker that once challenged Intel with its low-power x86-compatible processors and once employed Linux creator Linus Torvalds for some time, has put itself up for sale.

"The company has never been able to make much headway with its products, although it remains a popular source of technology licenses for its patents related to very low-power chips. With every processor vendor on a low power kick, that gives it some appeal.

"The company entered the market with its energy-efficient Crusoe processors early in the decade, before power concerns became the industry's obsession. Crusoe never gained much traction and Transmeta became more famous as the place with Torvalds drew a paycheck then as a serious competitor to Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) and AMD (NYSE: AMD)."

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