SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- In its latest move to attack Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Intel Corp. in the portable space, Transmeta Corp. is readying its first x86-based microprocessor lines, built around a 0.13-micron process technology, sources said.
The new chips, dubbed the TM5500 and TM5800, are the latest members of the company's Crusoe family of x86-based processors, sources said.
The Santa Clara-based company will roll out these chips on June 26. The company declined to comment, however.
Geared for notebook PCs and related portable systems, the new processors will run at speeds between 600- to 800-MHz, depending on the model, sources added.
A 1-GHz version is due out later in the year or so. At present, Transmeta's fastest chip runs at speeds of 600-MHz.
Both the TM5500 and TM5800 have 128-KB of L1 cache. Meanwhile, the TM5800 has 512-KB of L2 cache. Both chips also include a new 4.2 version of its patented software-based "code morphing" technology, which boosts the overall performance and battery life in systems.
In total, the new chips from Transmeta are 50% faster than its previous chips. They also improve power consumption by 20% over previous chips.
It's unclear which silicon foundry will make these chips. At present, Transmeta reportedly uses two foundries--IBM Microelectronics and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
But it is clear that Transmeta hopes to regain some momentum in the x86-based notebook processor space. In recent times, AMD, Intel, and Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc. have rolled out new and competitive processors for notebook PCs.
On the other hand, Transmeta may have taken the lead in this market--at least from a technical standpoint. Recently, AMD and Intel separately announced processors for the notebook space--based on 0.18-micron technology.
But Via recently announced perhaps the world's first chips based on 0.13-micron technology. Via's processors are designed for desktop and notebook applications.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Executive pay:
The economy stinks. Rank-and-file engineers are feeling the pain. What about technology CEOs? We crunched the numbers buried in corporate financial statements to find out. Here's what we found.
10 companies in trouble (revisited):
What follows is an updated version of 10 companies in trouble. Some companies have been removed since the last version, others remain. Still others have been added to the mix.
Early predictions for 2010:
The electronics industry is recovering, but there is still some uncertainty in the market. Some see a boom year in 2010. Some see a double dip. So what's in store for the rest of this year and 2010?
Top 10 IC vendors with cash:
The world's biggest IC companies by revenue rank not only among the best in their respective industry segments but are also more likely to have huge piles of cash that can be used to fund acquisitions, R&D and product development.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
