"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)."
