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

To: axp who wrote (314)	11/13/2000 12:42:07 PM
From: Artslaw	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 421

axp, Ah, FX!32. I knew there was an exclamation point in there somewhere. I did not realize the the emulation was so similar. To me, FX!32 is a software solution translating from x86 to Alpha RISC, whereas Transmeta's is a hardware solution (or microcode solution) tranlating from x86 to VLIW. But, I guess on a certain level they are similar enough. And if they were really hiring the same guys to do it, then I recant my statement! You make an excellent point. The Alphas were awesomely fast, so could support the (application-level) software emulation overhead (in college, I had an Alpha workstation on my desk which ran some windows applications faster than our somewhat older PCs). Of course, it is easy for a short-piped RISC machine to run at a higher frequency, but it has to execute more commands than a CISC machine to do the same work. VLIW addresses that if the compiler can stick enough instructions in the word, but I don't know how well TMTA does this (since it is making the VLIW on the fly). Anyway, I have a friend at Transmeta, so I'll have to ask her some of these questions over lunch. (But maybe I'll wait until I cover and tell her that her stock paid for the lunch) Regards, Steve