Transmeta's technology is cool, borrowed or not. Still 技术. Now it's partnered with AMD, Microsoft, it has the marketing and R&D backing to stay alive and realize its core vision.
As you said, AMD's financial backings are strong. Even taking a small bite out of Intel dominance means billions of dollars. It's a goal that AMD and its backers will not relent. Transmeta is a AMD's cost effective bet in safe-guarding its future in a non-desktop centric computing world.
With computing becoming more virtualized, small form factor and power are the keys. A general purpose desktop/server CPU, however many cores, however many ways, is not efficient computing, and today's CPU do not have the flexible to turn into specialty workhorse on the dime, Transmeta can. It's proven its workings in Crusoe, it's just a matter of time and marketing. Why would Microsoft chose Transmeta?
IBM Delivers Breakthrough "Energy-Smart" Business Computing Systems With AMD Opteron Processors to Extend IBM's Advantage in the Worldwide Server Industry
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/060801/0149558.html
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IBM introduce more AMD opeteron based servers, just at the time INTEL deliver Woodcrest.
Also, Sun Microsystem said they won't use any Intel woodcrest servers.
Cray Inc, also loves AMD Opeteron very much.
I am not a specialist in SERVER, but look like AMD's opeteron still has architecture advantage even though woodcrest is faster than Opeteron at lots of benchmarks.
Comments?
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"Intel to suffer more than AMD in price war, says IC Insights "---这是没办法的.INTEL是防守的,AMD是进攻的.
Intel to suffer more than AMD in price war, says IC Insights
http://www.fabtech.org/content/view/1702/2/
IC Insights has released its 1H06, TOP 15 semiconductor supplier rankings that takes into account the effect the microprocessor price war is having on Intel Corp and Advanced Micro Devices.
Perhaps unexpectedly, the effect of the price war has contrasting results. According to IC Insights;
‘Intel and AMD registered the largest 2Q06 sequential sales declines of any of the top 15 semiconductor suppliers. It should be noted that although Intel and AMD each displayed significant 2Q06 sales declines, IC Insights expects full-year 2006/2005 semiconductor sales at Intel to be down at least 10% while AMD is on pace for a 42% increase.'
This can be put down to a few crucial factors, commented Bill McClean, President of IC Insights. On the one hand, AMD is still building market share in the server space, which is not being impacted by the price war encountered in the PC and notebook space.
However, the strongest impact comes from the performance of Intel in 2005 compared to Intel's revenue growth capability in 2006 due to the severe price cuts expected for the remaining half of the year.
The only other company showing revenue declines in 1H06 compared to 2005 in the Top 15 rankings is Toshiba with a -7 percent growth. Again this can be attributed to the aggressive ASP declines of NAND Flash chips experienced this year due to increased supply and seasonally weak demand.
Perhaps the biggest gainer in rank position has been TSMC. According to IC Insights the Taiwan based foundry was ranked eighth in the full-year 2005 listing has jumped into the fourth position in 1H06. The success of the foundry business model was also highlighted with Qualcomm ranked 15 for the first time, up from 18th position in 2005.
IC Insights stated that Qualcomm took advantage of the strong cellular phone market and estimates that Qualcomm's full-year 2006 semiconductor sales will reach at least $4.5 billion, up 30% from 2005.
In total, the top 15 semiconductor companies' sales increased only 1% in 2Q06 as compared to 1Q06, according to the market research firm. The TOP 15 semiconductor companies are on track to post an 8 percent increase in sales for 2006/2005, which nicely matches IC Insights' 8 percent forecast for total 2006/2005 worldwide semiconductor sales growth.