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Technology Stocks : Transmeta (TMTA)-The Monster That Could Slay Intel -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Artslaw who wrote (312)	11/13/2000 10:31:45 AM
From: ComradeBrehznev	Respond to of 421

Steve, Thanks for your comments on the article. You obviously have a good background in this subject. "That is precisely the sort of application that would run poorly on a Transmeta, and an excellent example of the sort of application someone might want a fast processor for a mobile computer. And why on a portable? On my last flight out of town, I watched The Matrix DVD on my laptop (a 700MHz Intel IBM T20 speed-stepping down to 550MHz). The thing never skipped or jerked, but I had just barely enough juice to watch the whole thing. DVD's are the best application for a mobile computer yet, and a great argument for why people want performance AND low power, and would prefer performance over low power. " check this out - on their low- end 533Mhz chip: FREMONT, Calif., Nov 13, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- InterVideo, Inc., the leading developer of advanced PC video & audio software products, reported today that it is the first company to provide WHQL-certified software DVD playback on a Transmeta Crusoe platform. "Our software-based DVD playback is ideal for mobile devices, since it eliminates the MPEG and Dolby Digital decode hardware -- reducing weight, size and cost," said Michael Demeyer, senior director of Video Product Marketing for InterVideo. "When combined with the low-power, high-performance Crusoe processors, the light weight and extended playing times are a significant breakthrough in mobile multimedia computing." "We are very pleased with not only the performance of InterVideo's WinDVD 2000 software, but also by the tremendous support and cooperation they provided throughout this project -- right up through their support of the WHQL certification process," said Ed McKernan, director of Product Marketing at Transmeta. "Together, InterVideo's software-based DVD playback and Crusoe's Code Morphing Software are ideal for mobile devices." Fujitsu's new Crusoe-based 'FM BIBLO LOOX T' notebook computer is the first mobile computing solution to provide DVD playback on the Crusoe processor. Powered by a Crusoe 533 MHz TM5600 processor and targeted at mobile professionals, it features full Internet and Windows capabilities and offers up to 8 hours of battery life. The BIBLO LOOX T is available now. "InterVideo's WinDVD2000 is the best performing DVD player on the market", said Hisamichi Higuchi, project manager, Mobile Computing Division of Fujitsu. "IVI's special optimizations for the Crusoe allowed us to achieve full-frame rate DVD playback on Windows ME, making the Fujitsu BIBLO LOOX T system the only Crusoe solution thus far to receive the Microsoft WHQL Logo for motion video."

To: Artslaw who wrote (312)	11/13/2000 10:59:43 AM
From: axp	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 421

i23jump said: McCarron points out that, in the past, companies such as Digital (now owned by Compaq) tried the software emulation approach with its Alpha processors but ran into the same performance degradation problems. Steve Walstra said: Digital made software emulators (called something like X86!) and binary compilers. The first is an application that can decode X86 binaries and lets you run the applications on an alpha, the second is a program which translates X86 binaries into native Alpha binaries (so you can run them directly). Neither one has anythinig to do with Transmeta, where all the "emulation" is all done on chip. The statement is just plain ridiculous--they are night and day different processes. The digital product was called FX!32 and was being integrated into Windows 2000 in cooperation with MS until Compaq pulled the plug on the whole Alpha NT platform. FX!32 enabled x86 programs to run on Alpha NT. The translation was only performed on the code that was actually executed and it did not produce a stand-alone alpha binary. You still needed to run the x86 program and FX!32 would switch to the translated portions where available. Transmeta has taken it a step further since they do it on the chip while FX!32 did it purely in software. But the concept is the same. In fact Transmeta has been recruiting and hiring ex-FX!32 developers precisely because of their experience directly applies. The primary point of the statement is that it's difficult to get good performance running x86 programs if you're doing it by translating to an underlying CISC instruction set. The reference to FX!32 is appropriate and IMHO the writer is correct. FX!32 only made sense while Alpha had a 2-to-1 performance advantage over x86 chips which enabled it to run x86 programs at approximately the speed of x86 chips. As the x86 MHz ramped up in 1996-1999 to exceed the speed of an Alpha it erased most of the advantages of an Alpha chip. I think Transmeta will be facing a similar "why should I bother" argument with their emulation/translation scheme.

To: Artslaw who wrote (312)	11/13/2000 6:52:09 PM
From: ComradeBrehznev	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 421

Steve, maybe you need a new notebook! Steve said: "That is precisely the sort of application that would run poorly on a Transmeta, and an excellent example of the sort of application someone might want a fast processor for a mobile computer. And why on a portable? On my last flight out of town, I watched The Matrix DVD on my laptop (a 700MHz Intel IBM T20 speed-stepping down to 550MHz). The thing never skipped or jerked, but I had just barely enough juice to watch the whole thing. DVD's are the best application for a mobile computer yet, and a great argument for why people want performance AND low power, and would prefer performance over low power. " check this out - on their low- end 533Mhz chip: FREMONT, Calif., Nov 13, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- InterVideo, Inc., the leading developer of advanced PC video & audio software products, reported today that it is the first company to provide WHQL-certified software DVD playback on a Transmeta Crusoe platform. "Our software-based DVD playback is ideal for mobile devices, since it eliminates the MPEG and Dolby Digital decode hardware -- reducing weight, size and cost," said Michael Demeyer, senior director of Video Product Marketing for InterVideo. "When combined with the low-power, high-performance Crusoe processors, the light weight and extended playing times are a significant breakthrough in mobile multimedia computing." "We are very pleased with not only the performance of InterVideo's WinDVD 2000 software, but also by the tremendous support and cooperation they provided throughout this project -- right up through their support of the WHQL certification process," said Ed McKernan, director of Product Marketing at Transmeta. "Together, InterVideo's software-based DVD playback and Crusoe's Code Morphing Software are ideal for mobile devices." Fujitsu's new Crusoe-based 'FM BIBLO LOOX T' notebook computer is the first mobile computing solution to provide DVD playback on the Crusoe processor. Powered by a Crusoe 533 MHz TM5600 processor and targeted at mobile professionals, it features full Internet and Windows capabilities and offers up to 8 hours of battery life. The BIBLO LOOX T is available now. "InterVideo's WinDVD2000 is the best performing DVD player on the market", said Hisamichi Higuchi, project manager, Mobile Computing Division of Fujitsu. "IVI's special optimizations for the Crusoe allowed us to achieve full-frame rate DVD playback on Windows ME, making the Fujitsu BIBLO LOOX T system the only Crusoe solution thus far to receive the Microsoft WHQL Logo for motion video."