Intel accuses Transmeta of incompatibilty
Chip startup Transmeta is suffering from compatibility problems and failing to deliver its products, according to the world's leading chip manufacturer, Intel.
In an interview with ZDNet during a briefing Thursday, Intel exposed a sore point when discussing the hype surrounding Transmeta and its foray into the laptop arena.
"You should check whether the Transmeta chip is 100 percent X86 compatible," says Don MacDonald, director of marketing for Intel's mobile platform group. "And it's not here. Our products have been shipping for over a year."
MacDonald says he is frustrated with competitors that are "all talk" and says "the difference between hype and reality is important to the end user".
The presentation concentrated on Intel's SpeedStep technology -- designed to prolong laptop battery life by varying microprocessor performance relative to processor demand. The technology is only seen in Intel's Pentium range, although MacDonald said that Intel might develop Celerons using SpeedStep.
MacDonald added that competition was only going to get fiercer up in the mobile space.
"AMD and others have clearly recognised the growth of the mobile market and are following Intel's lead," he said.
Transmeta was not available for comment.
See Chips Central for daily hardware news, including an interactive timeline of AMD and Intel's upcoming product launches.
What do you think? Tell the Mailroom. And read what others have said.