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New Sony Vaio "U" with Crusoe?
New Sony Vaio, Clie reach for the top
Reuters
March 11, 2002, 4:50 AM PT
URL: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-856629.html
Japan's Sony on Monday unveiled several new high-end versions of its popular Vaio laptop and Clie handheld computers that offer better multimedia capabilities geared towards business users.
The latest in the top audiovisual product maker's Vaio line of personal computers are the slim "VX" and the big-screen "GR" laptops which are expected to sell for about 250,000 yen ($1,950) and 350,000 yen ($2730) respectively.
The GR has a black body, a departure from its purple and magnesium-grey predecessors, and sports a 16.1-inch flat-panel display, about the same size as most desktop display screens.
The Vaio line of computers, which were first introduced five years ago, has made Sony the third-largest PC maker in Japan after NEC and Fujitsu.
The new Clie, which runs the popular Palm operating system like its predecessors, is a folding, handheld computer with a built-in camera, keyboard and a larger screen.
The screen is the most striking feature of the new Clie, because of its size and ability to swivel in place. It also lacks the familiar, permanent text input area for Palm functions and instead displays the functions as an option.
The new handheld has a price tag of around 60,000 yen ($468), but a version without the camera will sell for 10,000 yen ($78) less.
Masanobu Yoshida, who is in charge of Sony's handheld computer division, did not say when the new sleek silver Clies would go on sale in Europe and the United States.
Sony also offered a sneak preview into a new line of "U" series Vaio computer models that are set to rival handheld computers in terms of size.
They will run Microsoft's Windows operating system and are small enough to fit into a large pocket, with thumb controls so they can be operated while being held.
Most of the new handheld and laptop computer products will go on sale in Japan this month. The Vaio GR will go on sale on 16 March and the VX will hit store shelves a week later.
The camera-equipped Clie, the PEG-NR70V, will go on sale on 13 April and the non-camera version, the PEG-NR70, will be sold from 23 March.
Sony also said it would begin selling a long-awaited Bluetooth module for the CLIE's memory stick expansion slot from 23 March, which allows the handheld computer to communicate with other Bluetooth-equipped devices nearby.
The new Vaio "U" can be seen in a number of images from this Japanese language site:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/pc/docs/2002/0311/sony3.htm
note what sure appears to be the Crusoe label on this closeup of the new Vaio:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/pc/docs/2002/0311/sony3_12.jpg
regards, wsh
No news on CeBit Tradeshow from transmeta.com
In checking transmeta.com, TMTA has not issued a press release on the CeBit Tradeshow, even though Cnet has confirmed that TMTA will be in attendance showing off its customers' laptops and tablets. (link thanks to UKBird) In fact, there is only one TMTA press release so far in 2002, a release from 1/15 announcing the stock rights plan. Looking back, the company has issued only 19 press releases in the past year. Is it just me, or is this a sorry state of affairs?
Why not issue a release to the effect that we will be at Europe's (world's?) largest tradeshow, displaying innovative products recently introduced by our OEMs based on our TM5500 and TM5800 processors? I am not in favor of a press release a day whether or not there is news, but TMTA seems to avoid the release of news.
wsh
Bird, that ZDNET/IDC article is so typical of the press TMTA receives these days. Same old, same old. Poor TMTA, once a high flyer now doomed to crash (or, apparently worse, to be "marginalized").
So ultra-light laptops are a mere corporate play, huh? Better tell that to the growing group over at leog's site. Funny how the Tablet PC was not mentioned at all, but they did find room to tell us how TMTA should compete against ARM chips for Pocket PCs, a market for which their current offerings are particularly unsuited. Maybe IDC needs to listen again to B Gates at Comdex last Oct. What was that he said about Tablet PCs? O..yeah, something about the next wave in personal computing.
What will these experts tell us next year at this time, when every laptop mfg has a version of the P-2040, TMTA is the preferred chip for Tablet PCs, and TMTA is demoing a new chip for workstations and servers that runs Linux like a fiend. Well, of course, they will tell us they told us so.
wsh
In past quarters, TMTA has commonly made pre-announcements of quarterly results. Think it was around Dec. 13th when they warned of disappointing Q4 results. No news this week or next will likely indicate that all is on track or slightly ahead of schedule. Might M Goldman pre-announce particularly good news?
Fred, it's a wild ride for small cap tech investors these days. Two steps forward, one back; one step forward, two back. . .
Apparently CNBC reported this morning that our fav analyst, Pacific Growth, has expressed doubts about the validity of the DigiTimes report. This was posted on Yahoo board:
" Pacific Growth says. Firm says Transmeta is actively engaged with all of its preexisting customers. Shipments of company's TM 5800 processor are progressing and are believed to be in volume shipments to Sony and Fujitsu, Pacific Growth says. Keeps buy rating."
My own reaction to the DigiTimes article was that Toshiba is currently finding itself a second tier OEM for deliveries of TM5800s, as TMTA would want to reward Fujitsu and Sony for their loyalty. Perhaps INTC has made them a great deal on PIII-Ms also.
In any event, this adds further evidence that the ramp up is progressing nicely. Love that "volume shipments" language.
Regards, wsh
DigiTimes Article 3/6/2002
http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article.asp?IR=N&ClassID=100&datePublish=2002/03/06&pa...
2002/3/6 Transmeta loses Toshiba, Sharp notebook business
Facing unstable supply sourcing and pressure from global leader Intel, US-based chip designer Transmeta is losing support from its main clients, Toshiba and Sharp. Toshiba terminated its notebook development based on Transmeta’s Crusoe TM5800 processor, and Sharp has announced that it will cooperate with competitor Intel in its power-consumption technology for notebooks.
Transmeta has relied heavily on Japanese company interest in small-size notebooks and sub-notebooks to secure a foothold in the CPU market. However, Transmeta’s inability to establish consistent supply sources for the Crusoe TM5800 chip has shaken Toshiba and Sharp’s confidence in the company.
Toshiba originally planned to make a comeback in the US market by cooperating with Transmeta to launch notebooks with superior power-consumption features. However, problems arose in the second half of 2001with the 0.13-micron production capacity Transmeta contracted from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), causing repeated launch delays. In addition, defects were found in the Crusoe TM5800 shipments Toshiba received from IBM, spurring them to abandon a project to develop a new model for the Libretto line, targeted at the US market.
The Transmeta/Toshiba partnership began in 2001 when the Japanese company introduced its Libretto L2 notebook supporting the Crusoe TM5400. They later unveiled the Crusoe TM5600-based Libretto L3, and both models have enjoyed healthy sales. The Libretto L3 is still doing fairly well in Japan, but a Taiwanese manufacturing source said that if Transmeta cannot gain back Toshiba’s confidence, the Japanese company will not develop follow-up products using Transmeta chips.
Following Sharp’s move, Toshiba is reported to have formed a partnership with Intel for low power-consumption sub-notebooks.
Transmeta, however, is still partners with Sony and Fujitsu. Despite shipment delays, Sony has patiently waited for the Crusoe TM5800 and will soon introduce the PictureBook notebook running on the chip. Fujitsu will also come out with two new notebooks for the LifeBook line based on the Crusoe TM5500 and TM5800.
Thanks Bird. No I wasn't aware of how to present images and appreciate your taking the time to explain the process.
The Banias chip may not be vaporware after all, and it does seem to be a sound design to minimize energy use. However, the use of tailored transistors is no substitute for no transistors, and their speed reduction algorithm seems at best a rival to TMTA's (which is very sophisticated as well as patented or pat. pend.). So, how is Banias going to be the ultimate laptop chip? Showing my bias here I guess. We will have to wait and see. It would be great if in the meantime the TM5800 got pushed to 1.0 GHz or more and the TM6000 became available.
Was meaning to ask you if you had any insight into the OS that the early entry "metapad" might run. A lot of possible uses for a core are not supported by MS software, but are by specialized distributions of Linux. Thinking primarily of wearable systems here, but I am sure there a lot of others. A disruptive technology like a metapad might be the opportunity to orchestrate a shift from MS to Linux.
The reason I mentioned XYBR in my post yesterday is that they hold the patents on a core computing system like the metapad, and the company should eventually earn very large revenue streams from patent licenses(like ARM and RMBS).
Regards, wsh
More info on Banias, from AnandTech, reporting on last week's Intel Developer's Conf:
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1593
During Anand Chandrasekher's keynote, he demonstrated the world's first Banias platform - the chipset is codenamed Odem. As you'll remember from previous IDF conferences, Banias is Intel's first CPU that has been designed from the ground up to be a mobile CPU. Designed by Intel's team in Israel, Banias is supposed to truly bring high performance and mobility together in a CPU aimed at making the perfect notebook. Banias will be a departure from anything we've ever seen from Intel in the past and will have quite a bit to do with wireless technology but we'll leave it at that until closer to Banias' 2003 release.
The link has a photo of a prototype of a banias platform.
Regards, wsh
". . .the majority now see Intel requiring a road map, for their own benefit, not ours! Great line Bird.
Loved hearing your insider info on the MetaPad concept perhaps coming to fruition. My guess is that such a product would be huge in the marketplace. Actually "huge" doesn't seem huge enough. Transformative, perhaps. A core to easily carry from a shell at home, to a shell at the office, to a shell virtually everywhere (rented or provided as a courtesy in, e.g., a hotel room, mall concourse, airport terminal, public library, coffehouse, etc). No problems transferring data from one machine to another. Why own a laptop? Instead, perhaps a tablet PC, using the core, to do some web surfing. Leaving the house or office, we'll be asking ourselves, do I have my keys? wallet/pocketbook? core? It really is fun to think about.
Might be a good time to consider stock in Xybernaut, XYBR. Think it was $2 last I looked.
Regards, wsh
Fred, enjoyed the comments of your young NZ friend. I was of a similar opinion until the Fujitsu Lifebook P-2040 came along. If you have not, you really want to hold and operate one of these gems. They really are quite remarkable, and the price is extremely attractive at $1500.
If you have not, it is well worth the visit to LeoG's internet site that is commonly linked on this site. Many if not most of the members of that P-2040 users group are obviously very sophisticated in computing and laptops, and they seem collectively to be in love with their Lifebook Ps. One gets the sense that Fujitsu can sell as many units as they can produce. Cannot help but think that such apparent success has come to the attention of Toshiba, IBM, Compaq, Dell et al. BB might be correct in his prediction that TMTA can soon balance the books on just the sale of TM5800s for laptops.
I am somewhat puzzled by your references to linebacking. Must be my ID? Weaksidehelp is a basketball term referring to help defense away from the ball (the weak side in bball jargon). I like to think of the term more broadly; akin to "have your back," those supportive references that are so common with US teenagers and yound adults these days. You might be thinking of the weak side linebacker in US football? Or, perhaps you picture me as a robust 6-4, 240 pounder capable of 4.6sec forty yard dash times and running down speedy running backs trying but failing to turn the corner on me. I could only wish; but, a delightful fantasy nonetheless.
Regards, wsh
Perhaps a divining rod to find ground water, or a rain dance. I also found the reference to "artificial means" humorous under the circumstances/enormity of the shortfall.
IAE, I do like the Taiwan government's priority for water:
1. Industrial Park
2. Citizens
3. all other users
Bird, do you think the water problem was the reason for the stock's collapse today? Hard to understand how we drop another six percent on a day when almost all small- and mid-cap techs do well (or at least turn green). INTC and AMD also jumped up. We are down around 15% since news confirming the ramp up. Who would have thunk it.
regards, wsh
Hsinchu Industrial Park High Priority for Water
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Government taps measures to prevent water shortage
Published: February 27, 2002
Source: Taiwan News
The Water Conservancy Agency and Water Resources Bureau under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Taiwan Water Supply Corp. convened Tuesday to discuss measures to alleviate an imminent water shortage. A period of drought in northern Taiwan has resulted in a sharp decrease of the water supply in the islands' major reservoirs.
Owing to scant rainfall in February, the water level in the Shihmen Reservoir in Taoyuan County has dropped to an eight-year low of 250 meters, approaching the minimum level of 220 meters.
The Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, which requires a daily water supply of 33 tons because of the IC chip manufacturing companies, is currently running short and has to be supplied by reservoirs from the neighboring counties of Miaoli and Taoyuan. The Taiwan Water Supply Corp. stated that current supplies could only last until the end of March.
"The Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park is the brick and mortar of the nation's economy, and therefore should be provided with sufficient water. The supply to the public will also take priority over any other demands for water," the Taiwan Water Supply Corp. stressed.
The meeting, convened by governmental hydro departments, concluded that if the drought continues, responsive measures would be activated to cushion the impact. The measures include setting up a drought emergency task force and allowing that 16,000 hectares of lands be left fallow in order to ensure an adequate water supply for industrial and public consumption.
Ten thousand hectares of land in Shihmen, Taoyuan County, and 6,000 hectares in Hsinchu would be designated to go fallow, and funds which were originally slated for compensatory agricultural payments in the wake of the island's WTO entry would be used to compensate the affected farmers.
The hydro agencies have also been working closely with the Central Weather Bureau to plan artificial means of bringing rain, as no significant rainfall is likely in early March.
regards, wsh
Intel's Vision of Next Year's PC, from their developers forum:
Brainstorming next year's PC
By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
February 28, 2002, 11:10 AM PT
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-847809.html
SAN FRANCISCO--A year and a half from now, desktops and notebooks should be noticeably different.
Intel, in conjunction with PC and component makers, is trying to usher in design standards for computers that, ideally, would result in more stylish and versatile machines, according to executives at the Intel Developer Forum here. Wireless networking, for instance, will likely be a standard feature in mainstream computers by the second half of 2003, and both notebooks and desktops will be smaller and lighter by then.
Further out, desktops will accept plug-in devices, and notebooks might integrate a second screen for calendaring or paging.
"What you will see is silicon and standards all over the place," said Louis Burns, vice president of the Desktop Platforms Group at Intel. "You're going to see us getting a little more aggressive on the horizon."
Computer companies have often foundered in their haste to push new technological conventions on the public. The difference now is that some of the upcoming technologies, such as wireless networking, have already received a hearty welcome from early adopters.
"Intel needs to keep all the rail gauges up," said Richard Doherty, director of research at the Envisioneering Group. "Intel's influence over wireless will be the one that matters most."
Second, there seems to be an effort to better coordinate the adoption process. Five years passed between the initial proposal for the universal serial bus and the market debut of the first products featuring that connection technology for peripherals, said Gerald Holzhammer, director of desktop architecture at Intel Labs.
By contrast, 3GIO, an internal connection standard that will have significant desktop design implications, will go from white paper to store shelves in three years.
Heat vs. size
A large part of the drive for new design conventions comes from the conflict between power, style and cost. Marketing polls have shown that consumers want faster, more fashionable PCs. But experience has also shown that people don't want to pay for them.
"You can give them (buyers) a new form factor that's got everything they already have plus something else, but you can't charge more," said Roger Kay, an analyst at IDC. "If you give someone something for free, they'll take it, but when you ask them to pay for it, they won't."
In desktops, for instance, a push toward smaller PCs didn't become a huge hit in the United States because of the relative amount of customization among the various models released by manufacturers.
"Customers have said that they want no compromises on performance and that they want it standardized," Burns said.
To that end, this fall Intel will publish specifications and release an engineering reference design, code-named TideWater, for building mainstream PCs for the second half of 2003. TideWater will sport future technologies but also feature smaller power supplies and other components that should be available at the time, thereby eroding the PC manufacturer's risk.
"We will work with Asian component suppliers," Burns said. "We need to get high volumes."
PCs to be released at that time will include the upcoming version of the Pentium 4, known asrescott, integrated 802.11 wireless networking, serial ATA hard drive connections for faster data transfers, a speedier AGP 8X graphics bus, and USB 2.0 connections for peripherals. An effort will also exist to simplify home networking and other applications.
By 2004, PCs will begin to feature 3GIO, a high-speed interconnect standard that will replace both the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) standard and AGP. 3GIO will speed up performance, and--because it allows engineers to cut back motherboard space in favor of a flexible cable--it will radically alter how space gets used inside a PC. According to Holzhammer, 3GIO represents the most significant desktop design overhaul since the release of the ATX design of 1990.
Another reference design, BigWater, will embody 3GIO and other mainstream technologies for the 2004 market.
Meanwhile, in the background, engineers will try to come up with ways to dissipate heat or reduce noise. Some ideas include incorporating a thin layer of diamond near the processor.
"Diamonds are an extremely good conductor," Holzhammer said. "The ultimate high-end solution will be liquid cooling. It is something you might see in some high-end PCs not so far in the future."
As for acoustics, expect to see tinkering with fans, air-channeling techniques and sound baffling in computer chassis.
Notebooks are a go
In slight contrast, the looming issue for notebooks is wireless. When consumers get accustomed to wireless, they will likely increasingly use their notebooks in the field. That means the demand for long battery life will skyrocket. Wireless connections, however, can consume up to 4 watts of power, which further stresses batteries.
People will also want lighter notebooks but still not want to give up big screens or fast processing.
"It's a huge behavioral change and will drive people to this platform in hordes," said Anand Chandrasekher, vice president and general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group. "Thinner has a natural limit. The emphasis is going to be on lightness."
Wireless will also open a Pandora's box of security issues and place demands on communications carriers for seamless roaming.
Intel's specifications for mainstream notebooks coming this fall will call for portables in the second half of 2003 that weigh 4.5 pounds and measure 1.2 inches thick, and that contain an optical drive, integrated 802.11 and Bluetooth. The machines will run on Banias, an upcoming energy-efficient processor. Much of the work, as in the past, will lie in reducing power consumption to extend battery life.
In addition, the company expects to show off increasing amounts of software that will cure many of the communications dilemmas.
"Not all of these are Intel problems. Some are Microsoft problems; some are CheckPoint problems. But we all have to work in a (coordinated) manner," he said. "My fear is that if we don't, we will not deliver the value proposition and will (annoy) the end user."
Notebook manufacturers can also be expected to flaunt flashes of extraneous elegance in their designs, a historical norm for the industry. Acer and Hewlett-Packard, for instance, have shown off notebook concepts with pivoting screens for multidirectional viewing. Acer's model also lets consumers snap the screen over the keyboard to turn it into a tablet.
Other experimental machines come with handles featuring tiny screens that display a user's calendar information. One, the "Flip Top," comes with an autonomous personal digital assistant.
A PDA-PC, however, wouldn't be ready until 2005 or 2006. "There are a lot of architectural implications," Chandrasekher said.
Regards, wsh
Larry Magid reviews the Fujitsu Lifebook P Laptop. This was a nice find by lojjm from the Yahoo site.
http://www.larrysworld.com/articles/synd_lifebook.htm
Sizing up Fujitsu’s LifeBook P Laptop
By Larry Magid
February 21, 2002
When it comes to notebook computers, size does matter and so does weight. I'm not into bodybuilding, so I want the lightest PC I can carry, but I also want it to have a decent keyboard, a reasonable-size screen and the ability to run all the software I need.
These days traveling is hard enough without having to be burdened with an extra 8 pounds of weight. And, if you like to have your PC with you at all times, you want something that fits easily into your carrying case.
With that in mind, I was excited when I unpacked the Fujitsu LifeBook P Series. This ultra-light notebook PC weighs only 3.4 pounds and measures 10.6 inches by 7 inches by 1.6 inches. Yet it is loaded with features. Unlike many other ultra-light systems, this is a "two spindle" PC, meaning that it has a built-in CD-ROM drive in addition to a hard drive. Actually, it has something better than a CD-ROM. It comes standard with a built-in DVD/CD-RW combo drive that can be used to watch movies and copy CDs as well as to read audio and PC CDs.
All models have a 20 gigabyte hard drive and a 10.6-inch screen as well as a modem, an Ethernet port to connect to a local area network and a 1394 or "FireWire" card to connect to a digital video camera or an external storage device.
For $1,499 you get a system equipped with Windows XP Home Edition and 128 megabytes of memory. For $1,699 you get Windows 2000 and 256 megabytes of memory. For $1,799 you also get a built-in 802.11b wireless LAN adapter. To make that work you need a wireless base station in your home or office, or you can use the machine in a public place that has 802.11b access, which you can increasingly find at airports, hotels and coffee shops, thanks to services like Wayport that charge for public wireless access by the day or the month.
The floppy disk drive is external, plugging into one of the machine's two USB ports.
The P series doesn't have an "Intel Inside" sticker. It's powered by an 800 megahertz Transmeta Crusoe processor. Transmeta's CPUs are more energy-efficient than chips from Intel and AMD, which led Fujitsu to claim that the battery can last up to seven hours. The company is quick to disclose, however, that "actual battery life will vary based on screen brightness, applications used, features selected" and so on.
I'm glad they had that disclosure because the battery on my unit didn't last nearly seven hours, especially when I was using the machine to watch a DVD as I winged my way from California to Florida. I started with a fresh battery as I sat down to watch a two-hour movie, but long before the exciting climax, the battery died, forcing me to finish watching when I got to my hotel room, where I could plug into an outlet.
I didn't even try to watch a movie on the way home, but the fresh battery died somewhere between Palm Beach, Fla., and Houston as I was working in Microsoft Word. Once again, the battery delivered far fewer than seven hours.
To be fair, I had the standard battery. Fujitsu also offers a high-capacity one as well as a way to have two batteries connected at once.
Before you buy any ultra-light machine, be sure to check out the screen and the keyboard. Both are smaller than usual, which may or may not be a problem depending on your eye sight, the size of your hands and your typing skills.
Even though I have relatively small hands, I'm a pretty fast typist, so I was less than thrilled by the smaller-than-normal keyboard. People who hunt and peck won't even notice the difference, and even I was able to get used to it after awhile. I didn't think the smaller screen would bother me, but it did. The movie looked fine on the small screen, but the credits were a bit hard to read.
The system performance - mostly using Microsoft Office - was a bit sluggish but acceptable. I wouldn't recommend it for very CPU-intensive tasks like video editing, despite the 1394 port that makes it easy to connect a digital video camera.
The rest of the news about the LifeBook P series is all good. Carrying around a machine that small is truly delightful compared to lugging a full-sized notebook PC. It's so small and light that you can take it anywhere without having to worry about it burdening you as you go about your day. It also has some nice touches such as decent audio sound and dedicated buttons for checking e-mail or launching up to two of your favorite applications. Some people prefer electronic touch pads, but I'm glad Fujitsu used the same type of pointing device as IBM and Toshiba.
The main thing I liked about the machine is the fact that it's small and light yet the DVD/CD-RW drive is built in. I didn't have to worry about carrying a separate drive or expansion chassis or to hunt around for external devices when it came time to install software or to watch a DVD.
Intel: No low-energy versions of P4
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=70&u=/cn/20020228/tc_cn/don_t_expect_a_low_v...
Don't expect a low-voltage Pentium 4
Thu Feb 28, 9:29 AM ET
Michael Kanellos CNET News.com
SAN FRANCISCO--Although Intel spent considerable energy in 2000 and 2001 devising low-energy versions of its Pentium III chip for slim notebooks, it won't do the same with the Pentium 4, company executives said Wednesday.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker next week will release the first version of the Pentium 4 for notebooks, according to sources. The chip will be available in both the 7- to 8-pound desktop replacement notebooks as well as the 4- to 5-pound "thin-and-light" notebooks that are taking over the industry.
The company, however, won't try to fit the chip into the smallest, thinnest notebooks on the market, which require chips that consume an average of a watt or less of power.
Instead, it will continue to use the low- and ultralow-voltage Pentium III chips for this market and then replace them with Banias, an energy-efficient chip coming in the first half of 2003.
"We have no plans to have a low-power or ultralow-power version of the Pentium 4-M," Don MacDonald, director of mobile marketing at Intel, said at the Intel Developer Forum, a four-day convention here.
Intel's decision not to completely diversify the Pentium 4 to some degree serves as a harbinger of what will likely be a lengthy and inexorable conversion within the company's mobile processor line.
The Pentium 4 is Intel's premier processor at the moment, providing greater performance than its predecessors. Battery life and energy conservation, however, are becoming important factors in the portable market. And historically, power consumption hasn't been a strong point for the Pentium.
"Once you get wireless, you are going to want to untether yourself from the power cable, and that puts pressure on the battery," said Anand Chandrasekher, general manager of the mobile platforms group at Intel. "It is a huge behavioral change, and it will drive people to this platform in hordes."
Banias, which is being built from the ground up to fit only into notebooks, will consume far less power than Pentium 4 chips, according to Intel. The Pentium 4 and Banias will coexist next year and for some time beyond, but the future will belong to the new chip.
"Over time, we do anticipate that the notebook market will transition to the Banias class of processor," Chandrasekher said. "It is going to deliver superior performance in a cool thermal envelope."
Still, the company can't begin the conversion process too early. Although Intel has developed a chipset for Banias, the processor itself has yet to come out in samples.
"We don't have Banias in Silicon yet," Chandrasekher said.
Notebooks containing the chip, however, will appear in the first half of 2003.
Regards, wsh
TMTA confirms ramp up of production
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-845677.html
Transmeta: Notebooks to rescue Crusoe
By John G. Spooner
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
February 26, 2002, 1:15 PM PT
Chipmaker Transmeta said a trio of new notebooks using its delayed chips signals its own recovery. Notebooks from Sony and Fujitsu use Transmeta's new Crusoe processors, which had gone through a lengthy delay that cut Transmeta's quarterly revenue and hammered its stock price. The Crusoe 5800 and 5500 chips, announced in June 2001, were originally slated to ship in the second half of 2001. But production problems limited Transmeta's ability to ship large numbers of the new chips.
Sony's new PictureBook, the PCG-C1MV, contains a 733MHz version of the new TM5800 chip. The 2.2-pound computer also offers an 8.9-inch display. Starting at $1,899, PCG-C1MV is available through retailers and Sony's Web site. Due next week, Fujitsu's LifeBook P-2040 will include the TM5800 chip running at 800MHz and 802.11b wireless. The notebook, which weighs 3.4 pounds, will come with a 10.6-inch screen and start at $1,499.
The company's LifeBook P-1000 will be outfitted with the 700MHz TM5500 chip. The 2.2-pound machine with an 8.9-inch touch screen was designed for several specific jobs, such as collecting data on medical patients at a hospital or tracking inventory at a warehouse. It will go on sale next week starting at $1,499, a Fujitsu spokesman said.
Because of delays, Transmeta suffered a net loss of $23 million in the fourth quarter of 2001, excluding charges. Its net revenue totaled only $1.5 million during the quarter.
The chipmaker also lost some of its momentum, analysts said. Transmeta had spent the first half of 2001 signing up new customers, including NEC, Toshiba and server maker RLX Technologies. During that time, it said a range of new notebooks containing the TM5800 would debut in the second half of 2001.
But its chip problems caused many customers, such as Sony, to delay their 5800-based notebooks. Other customers, such as Toshiba, canceled product plans.
Transmeta now says it's on the road to recovery, delivering more chip to its customers than in previous months. "We've been increasing our deliveries to customers, and we are looking good on our 5800 recovery plan," said Transmeta spokesman Philip Bergman.
Transmeta has nowhere to go but up these days, analysts said.
"Ultimately, it's not in dire straits. It's got a whole lot of cash in the banks and it's got some good technology," said Mike Feibus, principal analyst at Feibus Strategic Consulting. "But it's running out of strikes. It will have to connect on the next swing or two...or sell, or go under."
New single spindle Fuditsu Lifebook with Crusoe TM5500
http://cbs.marketwatch.com/tools/quotes/newsarticle.asp?guid={4FDA7859-6545-430F-995A-23C439668E93}&....
Fujitsu Unveils World's Smallest, Touch Screen Notebook Starting at $1,499
2/26/2002 8:06:00 AM
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb 26, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fujitsu PC Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited, today announced the release of its newest addition to the LifeBook notebook line with the LifeBook(R) P-1000. The LifeBook P-1000 is the smallest touch screen notebook PC available and is designed to support special-purpose applications, such as healthcare, and sales and field-force automation. To further enable these high-mobility users, the LifeBook P-1000 offers outstanding battery life and wireless LAN capability.
. . . .
Like Fujitsu's LifeBook P Series P-2000, the LifeBook P-1000 also incorporates the services of a Crusoe(TM) processor from Transmeta Corporation (TMTA) . (The LifeBook P-2000, winner of COMDEX Fall 2001's Best Notebook and Best of Show awards, is the world's smallest, full-featured notebook PC incorporating a built-in combo drive.) The notebook is powered by Transmeta's 700MHz Crusoe TM5500 Processor with LongRun(TM) Power Management specifically designed to save energy while still providing full processing power in battery-mode. The LifeBook P-1000 offers users two different battery configurations, including the standard main Lithium ion battery for up to 4.5 hours(1) of battery life or high-capacity main battery increasing computing life up to 9 hours(1).
Regards, wsh
BB, I agree with the comments of Steak and Bird. I might add that the sale of chips for servers is a low margin business. Great when one has a surplus on hand; not desirable when one is ramping up and trying to satisfy customers like Fujitsu and Sony. RLX might be at the end of the line and frustrated, which might (and might not) explain the negative tone of the unidentified RLX contact and the suggestion that TMTA cannot get their act together.
I must admit to being less sanguine about the H2 v Q4 matter. I have very high hopes for the TM6000, and assumed/ hoped that TMTA planned on its introduction coincident with the Summer hoopla over MSFT's Tablet PC. I would be a great shot in the arm for the OEM's to announce their Tablet PCs running the new XP, based on TMTA's state of the art chip, a chip that INTC has no chance of competing with. Oh well.
I would really like a better understanding of the present situation of TMTA and TSMC. Are we a preferred customer or do we get into the production cycle when nVidea's/BRCM's orders are completed. Due to the sophistication of the TMTA design, does TSMC have problems in production. Etc Etc. I will feel much better when these ramp up issues are behind us.
Regards, wsh
Great article Steak!
. . .Transmeta has been stepping up its push into other areas.
"We're looking at servers, applications in the embedded space, applications in telecommunications. There isn't anything where the advantages of low power and minimal heat are not needed," said Frank Priscaro, Transmeta's brand development director. Priscaro added, however, that the company has by no means abandoned the market for subnotebooks and other lightweight computers whose designs are enabled because they need no fan.
This quarter, Transmeta plans to ship in volume its TM5800, the latest version of its flagship Crusoe processor. The TM5800 is built on a 0.13-micron process. It uses half the power and is half the cost of its TM5600, built with 0.18-micron process tools, Priscaro said. In the fourth quarter, the company plans to release its first system-on-a-chip – the TM6000, which integrates the processor, graphics, the north bridge to graphics and memory and the south bridge to a peripheral bus. The chip is expected to run at about 1 GHz.
Sure would like to hear more of what he means when he talks of future applications in "telecommunications."
wsh
XYBR's Transferable Core Technology
http://www.xybernaut.com/newxybernaut/company/public/xyber_flash
XyberFlash®
February 06, 2002
Transferable Core Technology in USA Today
USA Today columnist Kevin Maney wrote today about IBM's prototype of a transferable core-like product called the MetaPad, which is a black plastic block the size of a shirt pocket that fits into a docking station enclosure and allows you to take the contents of your PC anywhere you go. In March 2000, an article in USA Today also featured Xybernaut's transferable core shortly after the patents were awarded.
We feel today's USA Today article strongly validates our transferable core technology and intellectual property and benefits the relationship Xybernaut has with IBM. "IBM and Xybernaut preach the same vision," Maney stated.
Our transferable core contains the "brains" of a PC - processor, memory, storage and I/O circuitry --everything but the power supply and display. When plugged into an "enclosure," which can be anything from a stripped down laptop, to a cell phone, to the dashboard of a car, the core unit becomes a true "personal" computer. Xybernaut's breakthrough in mobile convergence will allow users to easily insert and remove the brains of their computing or communications device from one device to another -- including memory, operating system and applications. "You're never out of sync with your operating systems or applications programs. All because they are, in fact, the very same," stated Xybernaut's CEO Ed Newman in today's USA Today article.
Xybernaut's transferable core which, like the IBM MetaPad is still in development, will mean that business users and consumers will not need separate devices, such as PDAs, PCs, laptops, cell phones and pagers. They can have access to the information they need independent of these separate devices anywhere they go -- from their car, home, business, etc. "It has taken us over four years to develop the concept and to obtain the three U.S. patents for our core computer technology," stated Newman in the original announcement of the Xybernaut's transferable core two years ago. "The patents will dramatically expand our market because our architecture will allow computer and communications companies to converge all mobile computing functions into one device."
http://www.xybernaut.com/newxybernaut/company/public/press/pub_prss_98.htm
Xybernaut® Expands Licensing Policy for Mobile and Wearable Computing
Xybernaut Intellectual Property Complements Technologies and Solutions from Industry Leaders
Fairfax, VA, November 13, 2001 - Xybernaut Corporation (NASDAQ: XYBR), which pioneered mobile computing nearly a decade ago today announced that it is intensifying the licensing of its intellectual property. Xybernaut currently has more than 700 granted or pending patent applications worldwide on mobile/wearable and related computing technologies
The decision by Xybernaut to offer its industry-leading wearable computing solutions to more companies is a result of industry developments that have seen leading corporations taking steps to move toward more rapid deployment of hands-free computing, as well as computer industry suppliers offering voice-ready operating systems and imbedded speech solutions.
"Our broad array of patents, software and know-how forms the foundation upon which Xybernaut has successfully designed and developed its own products and negotiated win-win agreements with licensees in many technology and industry categories," stated Edward G. Newman, chairman, president and CEO of Xybernaut. "As such, Xybernaut and its intellectual property are in the ideal position to be considered the 'gateway' for computer and communications manufacturers to be competitive in mobile/wearable sector."
Since the inception of the wearable computing, Xybernaut has taken the lead in developing and patenting unique technologies, such as the transferable core, which is about a third the size of a cell phone and contains the "brains" of a PC - processor, memory and storage and I/O circuitry. When plugged into an "enclosure," which can be anything from a stripped down laptop, to a cell phone, to the dashboard of a car, the core unit becomes a true "personal" computer. The core has the potential to revolutionize numerous industries including entertainment, security, health care, education, environmental and manufacturing.
Industry analysts agree that the potential market for wearable and mobile computing technologies is expected to grow exponentially in the coming decade. For example, Gartner Group analysts recently (October 8, 2001) included wearable computers as one of four key emerging technology trends for the next decade (see reference).
According to an April 17, 2001 Gartner Group Research Note, Wearing it Out: The Growth of the Wireless, Wearable World, "By 2007, more than 60 percent of the European Union and U.S. populations aged 15 and 50 will carry or wear a wireless computing and communications device at least six hours a day."The report also emphasizes a dramatic increase to 75 percent of these populations by 2010.
I agree, Bird. A core technology populating servers, workstations, portables, tablets, and PDAs could make life easier all around, even for the IT folks. It is exciting to contemplate TMTA being at "the core of the core" so to speak.
Regards, wsh
Meta Pad article on ZdNet. Unfortunately it does not mention TMTA.
http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2848304,00.html
It's a small world, part 2
By Bill O'Brien
February 15, 2002 5:56 PM PT
Blades are the current hot topic, the next thing. But what if there was another technology on the horizon that could pose a serious threat to blades? Don't sweat that '02 budget you've just dedicated to blade upgrades. They're still safe. The contender is still just technology on the hoof but it could end up unifying the next generation of IT equipment to an astounding degree.
Blame it on IBM. In a recent press release, IBM indicated that it had created a concept vehicle of sorts. Unlike those recently out of Detroit which have become increasingly large and fuel hungry, IBM stuffed an 800 MHz processor, 128MB SDRAM, a 10GB hard drive, and a 3D Graphics chip with 8MB RAM into a 9 ounce core package that's 3 inches wide, 5 inches long and ¾¾ inch thick.
There's no power supply, no I/O connectors, no display associated with this device and, as such, it becomes very competitive to a blade server in form: Pick a compatible backplane (at this point in its evolution, you could design your own) and you can start plugging in Meta Pads with reckless abandon. Call it a "Pad server" if you like, but the TCO similarities of its functions compared to those of blades are also significant: it's hot-pluggable, will share accessories, and is easy to maintain.
Normally, it would now boil down to letting the market decide among the two competing products, but that only works if the Meta Pad is competitive technology for blade servers. It could be--and it's also much more. The same Meta Pad could be plugged into a desktop, a portable, a handheld, or even, according to IBM, a wearable environment. And I do mean the same Meta Pad. Unplug it from your workstation, take it with you installed in a PDA shell, then home to do work on the data it acquired as a PDA, and then back to the office, to become a workstation again, ready to contribute its finished contents to the network.
Now tie it all together. The same core technology--theoretically an identical piece--that populates your workstations, portables, and PDAs is also the heart of your server. You could repair your server by pulling the Meta Pad out of a PDA and installing it in the ailing device. That trims your spares inventory down more than any blade server could possibly do and reduces the time (and effort) you'll need to track major repairs and replacements to a mere fraction of what it would otherwise be.
But here's the bad news: IBM has no current plans to produce its Meta Pad technology in any form that resembles a real product. It will release a trial group of them as thought balloons for others to resonate against. Do keep this technology on your radar, however. The Meta Pad concept, or whatever the variation of it that finally comes to market might be, should become the next great thing, whether IBM itself develops the line or it's parted out to other eager vendors.
OT: Hyperlink patent litigation
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-831564.html
BT claim of linking patent heads to court
Reuters / February 7, 2002, 7:10 AM PT
It may sound far-fetched, but a U.S. federal court will hear preliminary arguments next week to determine if this most elemental of Internet activities is the business property of a lone company, protected in the form of a patent.
BT Group Plc believes it holds such a patent covering "hypertext links"--the illuminated text on a Web page that enables users to surf from page to page with the click of a mouse. On Monday, BT will go to court to try to cash in on it.
BB, this may be the source of Yahoo's sudden concerns about hypertext links in board messages.
Regards, wsh
ViA is not Via
Bird, Steak, I remember looking at the Army MP contract awhile back. Think it was awarded in 2000 to ViA, Inc., a Minn. startup, and not Via Technologies, the ROC chip mfg. No relation. If I recall correctly, TMTA beat out Intel and Via for the processor subcontract. It is very interesting project, and a great beta test for the "wearables" market.
Bird, at some point I would appreciate your insight into Via and their low-power chip, the C3. I have been wondering for some time if Via might end up the major competitor to TMTA in the low power realm.
Regards, wsh
Info from DEMO 2002
http://www.idg.net/spc_810156_8814_1-4801.html
Glitz Gives Way to Practical Products
Demo 2002 highlights PC diagnostics, easier surfing for travelers, a second look at the Tablet PC, and palatable avatars.
Ramon G. McLeod, PCWorld.com
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
PHOENIX -- Sobered up by two economically horrendous years for the technology industry, exhibitors at the Demo 2002 show here this week are offering up products and services that might, just might, actually have a chance of succeeding in the world most of us live in.
. . . .
The Big Boys
Both Microsoft, which hasn't been much of a player at recent Demos, and IBM brought hardware that is attracting a lot of attention.
Microsoft's oft-maligned Tablet PC looked quite a bit more interesting than it has at other shows, mostly because this time the company is showing it with a tool to attract folks who must attend meetings bearing notepads.
Instead of using pen and paper, a person armed with a Tablet PC writes directly on its LCD monitor. The monitor sits flat on the top of an ultralight notebook and the image on the screen looks like a digital version of a legal pad. The person writes on the screen in normal handwriting.
The handwriting, including some pretty awful chicken scratch produced by a reporter, can be converted to text and moved to a Word file, copied into an e-mail message, or used in any fashion normally associated with text. The interpretation of the handwriting is quite accurate, although not perfect. The original document can be stored, and best of all, its key words can later be searched. This is very handy if one needs to go back over old notes.
Microsoft expects the product will begin shipping near the end of 2002.
The IBM Meta Pad, also on display here, is a computer about the size of a small paperback book. The device is equipped with an 800-MHz Transmeta processor, 128MB of SDRAM, a 3D graphics chip with 8MB of RAM, and a 10GB hard drive.
The device was built with the idea that all other parts of a PC--the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and so on--are "only accessories" that can be plugged into the device with docking ports. The advantage is that the device can be plugged into a desktop, then moved to a notebook, or even to a handheld, says Ken Ocheltree, exploratory devices manager for IBM Research. When he demonstrated it, the handheld prototype was extremely clunky. The device could also be used as a wearable computer with a headmount display or a detachable LCD monitor.
While interesting, the device is by no means the first of its kind.
Last year, a small California company called Acquis demonstrated working models of its interputer, which has similar components and capabilities.
IBM says it has no plans to sell the device itself, but may license its technologies to other companies.
Regards, wsh
Program loading info from the Fujitsu P Discussion Group
From: LeoG
Date: 13 Feb 2002
Some people have commented on the speed to open programs. I have not found this to be a problem.
I did a couple of timings: MS Word opens fully in 4 secs, Windows Movie Maker 2 secs, Internet Explorer (blank page) 3 secs, Lotus Notes 3 secs, Photoshop Elements (typically long loader due to all the plugins etc) 20 secs. The only difference I notice with my 1GHz PIII desktop with a very fast hard disk is Elements (10 secs); most other programs any difference in time to load is too small for my stopwatch to catch.
Most of these times were with CPU set to "performance" & mains powered, but I tried Photoshop Elements on battery and it maybe took 1 second longer but was undetectable on the other programs.
Overall, I am pleased with these loading times and if anyone is getting significantly longer than this, I would check all the settings esp. the power save settings (eg. if the hard as gone into idle then that will certainly slow program loading down while it starts up)
Regards, wsh
BB, the RLX news of an Intel-based line of blade servers has been forthcoming for some time. Saw it on their website or read it somewhere. The move probably is based on RLX's perceived need to develop a more robust blade server and to offer a blade product competitive to those offered by IBM Compaq and HP.
RLX will continue to offer the TMTA-based blade servers for so-called "front end" applications. IBM is following the same strategy in offering multiple lines of blade servers, powered both by TMTA and INTC chips. Perhaps at some point that strategy will be followed by Compaq and HP? Also, introduction of the TM6000 should ensure continued viability of TMTA in this market.
Somewhat hidden in the IDG news release was confirmation that the Intel low-power PIII-M's cannot compete on energy consumption/ heat generation with the TMTA 5800. Use of competing chips in blade servers is pretty much an "apples to apples" comparison. The fact that Intel cannot compete on these parameters is great news, and it should signal big design wins for TMTA in Tablet PCs, Internet appliances, and various embedded devices. Introduction of the TM6000 should increase the competitive advantage; perhaps to the "50%" quoted in the article.
Regards, wsh
Fujitsu to Upgrade Lifebook P
BB, that Fujitsu P Series Discussion Group was a great find. Every time I check it out I learn something new.
In today's postings there are notes on Fujitsu's plan to offer an upgrade to the Lifebook P that includes an integrated 802.11b wireless and a touch screen.
From: Yvonne
Date: 08 Feb 2002
Comments
. . . BTW, I was just looking at Dynamism.com, and came across this computer, the Fujitsu LX-T9. What's up with that - it looks like an improved version of the Fujitsu P2040. It comes standard with 256MB and has built in wireless!! http://www.dynamism.com/lxt9/main.shtml
Re: Built in 802.11b
From: Evan
Date: 08 Feb 2002
Comments
All I was told was some time in March. I was also told this model level (802.11b & touch screen being just an add on to the existing design) is slated to cary them through to June at which point a newer version would be released. This was told to me back in December by a regional sales manager and with the big delays I would not expect it to hold to that time frame. Nothing like vamping up supplies and killing the demand and existing orders by introducing a "soon to be released latest and greatest". Since they were so taken by surprise by the demand, who knows how they will proceed now with the line.
Regards, wsh
Xybernaut may be right!
Listing of US Patents assigned to Xybernaut:
6,304,459 Mobile computer
6,301,593 Mobile computer with audio interrupt system
6,262,889 Insulated mobile computer
6,235,420 Hot swappable battery holder
D440,966 Mobile body-supported computer
6,157,533 Modular wearable computer
D423,761 Vest to house the components of a wearable mobile
computer
6,029,183 Transferable core computer
5,999,952 Core computer unit
5,948,047 Detachable computer structure
D411,179 Mobile body-worn computer
5,844,824 Hands-free, portable computer and system
5,844,656 Head mounted display with adjustment components
5,757,339 Head mounted display
5,719,744 Torso-worn computer without a monitor
5,719,743 Torso worn computer which can stand alone
D390,552 Adjustable head set containing a display
D387,898 Body worn portable battery container
D385,855 Body-worn, portable computer
Patents may be viewed at www.uspto.gov Access the full text patent database. Most will require a special plug-in to view images. Instructions for downloading a free plug-in can be found on the site.
Regards, wsh
My choice would be DELL
"Weaks, IBM has no intention of manufacturing, just taking a hit off selling the technology. Who would be at the top of your list?"
Would like to see a US marketer of desktops and portables run with it. Michael Dell must be concerned about maintaining his company's growth rates and the MetaPad might be a natural. It also would be sweet as M Dell early on found little to like about the Crusoe. Think his comment was, to the effect, "what's the big deal, it's just another emulation chip." A commitment by Dell to develop a Crusoe-based MetaPad would send TMTA through the roof.
I read somewhere recently that Xybernaut (XYBR) seems to think they own the concept of a transportable core hooking up with various I/O devices. The implication was that IBM was using their market presence to shine a light on the new technology, but that it was owned by XYBER or XYBER/IBM. I will take a look at the USPTO database when I get a chance.
The thing I find so interesting about the MetaPad is that this is a concept I can see myself buying into. I would love to buy a core with a couple, three desktop docking stations. Conversely, the Pocket PC and Tablet PCs are interesting, technologically, but I certainly would not be an early adopter of either of such devices.
Regards, wsh
Nice find Bird. Love this excerpt:
". . .the Palm OS. Need an application that works best with Linux? The MetaPad's fast-morphing technology can run that operating system, too."
Regards, wsh
Bird, I agree that the MetaPad seems designed around the TM5800. Ultimately, the TM6000 at 1000 mhz should prove ideal for such a device. The core is (from memory) the size of a 3/4 inch stack of 3x5 cards, totally encapsulated (or nearly so). I don't think that any of the Intel "low-power" PIII chips would thrive (survive?) in such an environment.
Actually, now that I think about it, an INTC version would offer some added facility in the field and in the office. In the field, it would be a great handwarmer for skiing trips and the like, and in the office it could be a great hotplate for a coffee mug.
Regards, wsh.
TM5500/5800 redesigned for .13micron process?
Wandering through some of Google's outer 00000000s in a search for production info on TMTA chips, I ran across this article from Dec. 2001 from gamespy.com. Note the bold portion. I have been under the assumption that the new TM5800 was the old TM5800 but slightly more energy efficient due to .13 micron processing. Does anyone have any info on a redesign?
http://www.gamespy.com/hardware/december01/processors/
Processor Planet
By - Andrew Mo
Chipmaker Transmeta has again cut its revenue forecasts for quarter 4 of 2001. The company is predicting revenues of $1 million dollars, down from the last quarter's revenues of $5 million dollars. The problems can be attributed to Transmeta's troubles in supplying customers with low power consumption 0.13 micron Crusoe TM5500 and TM5800 processors.
The processor supply problems may be traced back to the fabrication source of the processors which are currently being handled by TSMC. TSMC, a Taiwanese company, also has deals with graphics chipmaker NVIDIA for production of its 0.13 micron Titanium chipsets. Despite the problems, Transmeta CEO, Murray Goldman, continues to emphasize the "co-operation and support" received from TSMC.
In order to increase production numbers of Transmeta processors, the company has made major changes to the design of the 0.13 micron chips. While these efforts have been made to increase volume, chips based on the new design will likely not been seen until later in Q1 of 2002. Until then, limited numbers TM5500 and TM5800 processors based on the old design will have to suffice for the remainder of the year and into the next year.
Regards, wsh
TSM beating Intel to .10/.09 micron production?
Interesting article. Perhaps the TM6000 can be the first chip on the block to sport .10 micron technology?
http://www.siliconstrategies.com/story/OEG20020130S0056
By Mark LaPedus
Semiconductor Business News
(01/30/02 16:24 p.m. EST)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- During the DesignCon 2002 conference here today, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) announced that it has demonstrated and produced the first chips, based on its new, leading-edge 0.10-micron (100-nm) process technology.
The silicon foundry giant is also accelerating the development of its 0.10-micron technology by moving the process into initial production by the third or fourth quarter of 2002.
Based on its aggressive development schedule, TSMC could become the world's first chip maker to deliver 0.10-micron technology--ahead of even IBM Microelectronics, Intel and other IC leaders, according to analysts. For example, Intel Corp. has stated that its chips based on 90-nm (0.09-micron) technology will not be out until early-2003 or so, according to analysts.
While Hsinchu-based TSMC is still ramping up its 0.13-micron technology within its fabs, the company in October formally announced its 0.10-micron technology for use in system-on-a-chip SoC) and other complex designs. TSMC plans to start its "early partner program" for the development of 0.10-micron chips in the second quarter of 2002 (see Oct. 10 story ).
It plans to move its 0.10-micron technology into production by "the end of the third quarter or beginning of the fourth quarter of 2002," said Shang-yi Chiang, senior vice president of research and development of TSMC. "It's more likely that we will move into production in the fourth quarter," Chiang said in an interview with SBN at the DesignCon 2002 conference in San Jose.
Analysts believe that TSMC will not move into volume production until early- to mid-2003, but the company still appears to be far along with its new process. "We've demonstrated a transistor," he said. "Our technology is based on a 0.10-micron process, but the channel length of our transistors are only 65-nm (0.065-micron)," he said.
TSMC's 0.10-micron process will include copper-interconnects, low-k dielectrics, and other advanced features, he said. And to minimize the risks--and hedge its bets--the company plans to migrate the technology from its 200- (8-inch) fabs to its 300-mm plants.
In fact, the company has two separate teams to develop 0.10-micron technology--and for good reason. The first team is developing the process in its Fab 4 plant in Hsinchu, which is an 8-inch, R&D facility.
The other team is developing the process, based on large-size, 300-mm wafer technology. "The trouble with 0.10-micron technology is that it's caught between the transition from 200- to 300-mm," he said.
The development of 0.10-micron technology in an 8-inch fab is "not cost effective," said the TSMC executive. So by year's end, the company hopes to bring its 0.10-micron into production within Fab 12, its massive, 300-mm plant in Hsinchu. "But if the 300-mm tools are not mature, we can [ramp up] the technology in the 200-mm plants," he said.
To develop chips based on the process, TSMC plans to use 193-nm lithography tools from its long-time scanner and stepper vendor--ASML Holding N.V. of the Netherlands. For years, TSMC has relied on ASML's tools for its production fabs, especially 248-nm tools.
TSMC will use ASML's Twinscan 1100 AT line of 193-nm tools for its next-generation designs, he said. "For 0.10-micron technology, there are a lot of critical layers," he said. "We will use 193-nm tools," he added.
Hi BB, welcome to iHub. I always enjoyed your TMTA research and informative posts on the Yahoo board and look forward to your contributions here.
I don't really know much about the AMD "license" to TMTA for the x86-64 instruction set other than the short articles that were published recently. The way I read it, initially it was reported (I forget by who) that TMTA acquired a non-exclusive license to use the AMD x86-64 code. Later, reports surfaced that INTC might use it also, but felt that it didn't need a license to do so. The Inquirer article you cite indicates that either the x86 code is not proprietary or that AMD is making it freely available.
I am amazed by the concluding sentence in Mike Magee's article. Isn't it suicidal for AMD to concede the ultra low power chip market to TMTA and INTC at the same time that BGates is saying that TabletPCs will be the next giant step for personal computing?
Regards, wsh
Steak, I have had good luck with MS Media Player on our machines; use it pretty often. Sorry you couldn't listen to an excellent presentation.
The talk by David Ditzel is of course old, but not dated. It provides a technical overview of the Crusoe and code morphing and a glimpse of the extremely high level of programming sophistication that was required. My guess is that we would be quite amazed by the amount and quality of source code written by the team, and the difficulty of debugging. Has anyone ever before written code to operate between a chipset and an operating system? My guess is that here is where a mind like that of Linus T. proved very instrumental in charting the design.
I aluded to it in the earlier post, but I suspect it would take a "Manhattan Project" approach (or whatever MS called their project to develop IE in warp time) for Intel to develop similar code. Even if they did so, it appears that a resulting hardware software chip from Intel would read on the TMTA patent. If the hardware/software/ morphing approach is the path to the future of computing, TMTA should get to walk the path alone, at least for the short and mid term.
Regards, wsh
D Ditzel's Seminar at Stanford (OLD) is a facinating listen to those who haven't heard it.
Title: Transmeta's Crusoe: A Low-Power x86-Compatible Microprocessor built with Software
Date: 2/9/2000.
Time: 1 hr 21 min.
Windows Media Player
http://murl.microsoft.com/LectureDetails.asp?596
The presentation was made in February, 2000, just a day or so after the media extravaganza when Transmeta finally divulged what it had been working on. These were DD's first public comments on the Crusoe and code morphing. The presentation was made to a technical audience and goes into a lot of detail, paticularly regarding the code morphing software and the hardware / software interface. While nearly two years old, the technical information appears quite relevant to the current Crusoe line. Listening to DD has made me even more convinced that the Crusoe represents a remarkable technical achievement,
much of which extends beyond the patent portfolio and is protected as trade secrets (source code and know-how). They have set a high hurdle to competition.
Regards, wsh
CPUScorecard.com reviews Crusoe
Dated Jan 30 2002
Nice one page overview of the Crusoe; includes their overall comments on the chip family:
[+] Best power-efficient processor for web pads & notebooks
[+] 128-bit VLIW instruction set
[+] Upgradeable x86- (& MMX-) compatible Code-Morphing
instruction translation
[+] On-board DRAM & PCI controllers
[-] No support for3DNow! or SSE multimedia instruction
enhancements
http://www.cpuscorecard.com/cpuprices/head_trans.htm
Regards, wsh
How's the Water? Mind if I dive in and join you? I have been following the Yahoo board for some time, but the big pool over there is getting real crowded with daytraders and swing traders. Also a growing number of sharks (bashers). The only topic of interest anymore is the TMTA stock price.
Voluntary disclosure: I got back into TMTA in Oct 2001 and have accumulated a large holding, mostly in tax deferred accounts. [Definition of "large holding": a number of shares exceeding the number of shares I would freely admit to my wife to owning.]
I am not a big fan of the Fool boards, but do periodically review the "post of the day" listing. A recent POD on AMD might be of interest, as it well describes the chip marketplace and the growing confidence of AMD backers that they can squeeze INTC in 2002 and 2003 at the high performance segment. I wish I was as confident that TMTA can squeeze INTC in chips for mobile devices and servers. I am vigilantly optimistic, however.
http://www.fool.com/community/pod/2002/020122.htm