[Excerpts follow, omitting some of the fluff portions of the PR. This looks like a formidable competitor in several segments of the computing market – Dew]
>> SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2003--Transmeta Corporation…today disclosed initial information about the company's next generation TM8000 processor. The TM8000, internally code named Astro, provides significant improvements to performance and energy efficiency for thin-and-light notebooks, tablet PCs, quiet desktops, small office/home office servers and high-density blade servers.
Transmeta's next generation TM8000 processor focuses on improving the user experience by increasing computing efficiency. It incorporates advanced versions of Transmeta's Code Morphing software and LongRun power and thermal management technologies. It also provides an industry leading capability to execute up to eight instructions per clock, compared to only four instructions per clock for most competing processors.
The TM8000 includes three new high performance bus interfaces. It has an on-chip 400 MHz HyperTransport(TM) bus interface, for increased input/output efficiency. The new processor also includes an on-chip Double Date Rate 400 (DDR-400) SDRAM memory interface. DDR-400 SDRAM substantially increases throughput over earlier DDR-266 interfaces. The TM8000 has an on-chip AGP-4X graphics interface for industry standard, high performance graphics solutions. All three of these new interfaces allow the TM8000 processor to achieve more work per clock, which results in greater energy efficiency and longer battery life for mobile computer users.
"By incorporating an AGP interface directly on the TM8000 processor, Transmeta will be able to achieve design wins in new product platforms that were previously unavailable for TM5000 series processors," said Dr. Jon Peddie, a leading graphics industry analyst. "Transmeta is the first to incorporate a high-performance AGP interface on the processor chip, which continues the company's innovative strategy of incorporating key chipset functions onto the processor. This is the kind of cost saving and performance enhancement that PC manufacturers desire."
The TM8000 processor also incorporates the industry standard Low Pin Count (LPC) bus, allowing it to communicate with new, high-density LPC Flash memories. This bolsters Transmeta's goal of efficient computing by enabling fewer components, design flexibility and enhanced security.
"The leading edge of renewed corporate IT spending and the synergy of mobile computing with wireless connectivity will drive mobile PC shipments in 2003," said Shane Rau, senior research analyst, IDC. "We estimate that mobile PC unit growth will, in turn, drive mobile PC processor revenues up by over 10% this year to $5 billion."
The TM8000 was first demonstrated to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers at COMDEX in November 2002 and is scheduled for mass production in the third quarter of 2003. The formal introduction of the TM8000, and its new brand name, will occur later this year. The TM8000 will be fabricated in TSMC's advanced 0.13 micron semiconductor technology. <<
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