Transmeta Breaks the Silence, Unveils Smart
Processor to Revolutionize Mobile Internet Computing
For Immediate
Release
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (January 19, 2000) - Transmeta Corporation today ended four and a half years of secrecy with the introduction of CrusoeTM , the world's first family of smart microprocessors. Designed to create a new category of Mobile Internet Computers, the Crusoe processor family (www.crusoe.com) is based on a breakthrough software approach that will revolutionize the field of mobile computing. Crusoe delivers on the market's need for "all day computing" with a PC compatible solution that is unmatched in performance with low power.
The Mobile Internet Computing
Market
The evolving class of Mobile Internet Computers
includes a rich set of products that spans from Web pads to ultra-light
(less than four pound) Mobile PCs that share the common need of x86
software compatibility and long battery life. It represents a significant
shift from today's mostly stationary laptops or incompatible handheld
devices to a platform that offers greater mobility and access to the Web
from most anywhere at anytime.
Ultra-light Mobile PCs operating
with the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office applications can
take advantage of the Crusoe processor's low power to increase the average
user's productivity by operating on a single battery for up to a full work
day.
Crusoe-based Internet devices such as Web pads and mobile
clients can take advantage of the Mobile Linux operating system to create
a robust yet economical machine that can handle all the required Internet
plug-in applications. Mobile Linux offers an additional advantage in that
it is an operating system that can be stored in solid state Flash ROM thus
removing the need for an expensive hard disk drive.
"Cellular
phones became more pervasive when they were made smaller and provided
greater battery life," said Dave Ditzel, Transmeta's CEO. "We believe that
Crusoe will bring about a change of similar magnitude in Mobile Internet
Computers."
Commenting on the current state of the mobile market,
analyst Martin Reynolds of the market research firm Dataquest, concurs
with the need for a new mobile processor. "When people build mobile
computers today, they use what's basically a desktop processor in a
different package," he said. "There's definitely room for a fresh
approach."
"Our customers are telling us that significant battery
life improvement is the most requested feature by a margin of two to one.
That's why Crusoe's low power is so important," said Transmeta's Jim
Chapman, vice president of sales and marketing. "The current mobile market
needs to evolve from today's heavier (six to ten pound) laptops to lighter
weight, high performance mobile PCs. Crusoe will help propel that change."
Re-thinking the
Microprocessor
In a radical departure from traditional
microprocessor design, Transmeta made innovative use of software to
implement many functions that had previously been implemented in hardware.
This approach gives Crusoe both the high performance and low power
required for today's demanding mobile computing environment.
The
key to Crusoe's unique architecture is its Code MorphingTM software. Code Morphing software surrounds a simple
Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) silicon engine to deliver a fully PC
compatible processor. It is this software that provides the compatibility
by "morphing" (i.e. translating x86 instructions) to the underlying
hardware engine.
Crusoe is a smart processor that "learns" about
an application while it runs and uses that experience to greatly extend
battery life. Using a new Transmeta invention called
LongRunTM power management, Crusoe continuously adjusts its
operating speed and voltage to exactly match the needs of the application
workload. LongRun can make adjustments hundreds of times per second, which
can dramatically extend battery life. This is in contrast to other
processors that run at a fixed operating speed on batteries, needlessly
wasting battery life.
LongRun also provides a solution for today's
strenuous multimedia applications that typically drain an ultra-light PC's
battery in as little as an hour. With LongRun, it is possible to design a
light-weight mobile PC that plays a DVD movie for three hours or more.
"We rethought the microprocessor from the ground-up," said Ditzel.
"Crusoe is the first processor to deliver all three of the key
requirements for Mobile Internet Computing: low power, high performance
and full PC compatibility. Now manufacturers have the ideal solution for
true mobility."
The Crusoe Product Family
The Crusoe processor family consists
of two solutions, the TM5400 and the TM3120, for the Mobile Internet
Computing market.
The model TM5400 is targeted at ultra-light
mobile PCs running Microsoft Windows and NT operating systems. These PCs
will take advantage of the TM5400's high performance (up to 700MHz) and
LongRun power management to create the longest running mobile PCs for
office applications, multimedia games and DVD movies.
The TM3120,
operating at up to 400MHz, is designed for economical Web pads and mobile
clients. With the Crusoe processor and the Mobile Linux operating system,
users can expect a complete Internet experience, including access to the
full range of plug-in applications. Transmeta provides Mobile Linux
assistance to OEMs looking to accelerate their time to market with new
mobile Internet devices.
Pricing and Availability
The TM3120, available immediately,
is economically priced for Linux-based Web pads and devices selling for
$500 to $999. The 333MHz version sells for $65 while the 400MHz version
sells for $89.
The TM5400, sampling now, will be offered in a
range of performance levels from 500MHz to 700MHz to meet the needs of
ultra-light mobile PCs selling for between $1200 and $2500. Transmeta
expects that Crusoe-based systems with these attractive price points will
be available in the marketplace by mid 2000. The 500MHz version will list
for $119, while the 700MHz version will list for $329.
About Transmeta Corporation
Founded in 1995, Transmeta is a
privately held company based in Santa Clara, California. Transmeta
develops, in concert with its OEM customers, platform solutions for the
Mobile Internet Computing market. Transmeta markets and sells the Crusoe
processor solution as the engine for a new class of computers. Crusoe is
the only x86 compatible processor solution built to run the large
installed base of PC software applications with high performance and
extremely long battery life.