Editing Transmeta (section)

== History ==

=== Stealth start-up ===

Founded in 1995, Transmeta began as a [[stealth startup|stealth start-up]]. The company was largely successful in hiding its ambitions until its official company launch on January 19, 2000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://investor.transmeta.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=29602 |title=Transmeta Corporation – Transmeta Breaks the Silence, Unveils Smart Processor to Revolutionize Mobile Internet Computing |publisher=Investor.transmeta.com |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317185038/http://investor.transmeta.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=29602 |archive-date=March 17, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Over 2000 [[non-disclosure agreement]]s (NDAs) were signed during the stealth period.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/technology/2000/0204/tech.internet.html |title=TIME Magazine – Asia Edition – March 31, 2008 Vol. 171, No. 12 |publisher=Asiaweek.com |date=May 9, 2011 |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> Throughout Transmeta's first few years, little was known about exactly what it would be offering. Its web site went online in mid 1997 and for approximately two and a half years displayed nothing but the text, "This web page is not yet here."

On November 12, 1999, a cryptic comment in the HTML appeared:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2501&cid=1530191 |title=Transmeta Details Continue to Unravel |publisher=Hardware.slashdot.org |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref>
<blockquote>
Yes, there is a secret message, and this is it: Transmeta's policy has been to remain silent about its plans until it had something to demonstrate to the world. On January 19, 2000, Transmeta is going to announce and demonstrate what Crusoe processors can do. Simultaneously, all of the details will go up on this Web site for everyone on the Internet to see. Crusoe will be cool hardware and software for mobile applications. Crusoe will be unconventional, which is why we wanted to let you know in advance to come look at the entire Web site in January, so that you can get the full story and have access to all of the real details as soon as they are available.
</blockquote>

Transmeta attempted to staff the company in secret although speculation online was not uncommon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/1752 |title=A New CPU? – Shacknews – PC Games, PlayStation, Xbox 360 and Wii video game news, previews and downloads |date=September 23, 1999 |publisher=Shacknews |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> Information gradually came out of the company suggesting it was working on a [[very long instruction word]] (VLIW) design that translated x86 code into its own native VLIW code. <!--As [[Intel Corporation|Intel]]'s then-forthcoming [[Itanium|"Merced"]] processor was also a VLIW design which could translate x86 code, speculation arose suggesting that Transmeta's product could have supercomputer-level processing power while actually being cheaper to manufacture than any offering by Intel, [[AMD]] or [[Cyrix]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}}-->

===Public launch===
On January 19, 2000, Transmeta held a launch event at [[Villa Montalvo]] in [[Saratoga, California]]<ref name="TMTA_take_on">{{cite web|title=Transmeta CPU takes on Pentium|url=http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1141033}}</ref> and announced to the world that it had been working on an x86 compatible [[Binary translation#Dynamic binary translation|dynamic binary translation]] processor named Crusoe. It also released an 18-page whitepaper<ref name="Tech_Behind_Crusoe"/> describing the technology.

Transmeta marketed their microprocessor technology as extraordinarily innovative and revolutionary in the low-power market segment. They had hoped to be both power and performance leaders in the x86 space but initial reviews of Crusoe indicated the performance fell significantly short of projections.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.vanshardware.com/articles/2003/07/030715_Transmeta/030715_Transmeta.htm |title=VHJ: Tracking Transmeta |publisher=Vanshardware.com |date=July 15, 2003 |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> Also, while Crusoe was in development, Intel and AMD significantly ramped up speeds and began to address concerns about power consumption. So Crusoe was rapidly cornered into a low-volume, small form factor (SFF), low-power segment of the market.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

On November 7, 2000 (US election day), Transmeta had their initial public offering at the price of $21 a share. The value reached a high of $50.26 before settling down to $46 a share on opening day. This made Transmeta the last of the great high tech IPOs of the [[dot-com bubble]]. Their opening day performance would not be surpassed until [[Google]]’s IPO in 2004.

The company had its first layoffs in July 2002, reducing the headcount of the company by 40%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-944936.html?tag=fd_top |title=Transmeta to cut 200 as losses deepen - CNET News.com |publisher=News.com.com |date=July 18, 2002 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713061517/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-944936.html |archive-date=July 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

On October 14, 2003, Transmeta announced the Efficeon processor which was claimed to have twice the performance of the original Crusoe CPU at the same frequency.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}} However, performance was still weak relative to the competition and the complexity of the chip had increased significantly. The greater size and power consumption may have diluted a key market advantage Transmeta's chips had previously enjoyed over the competition.{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

In January 2005, the company announced its first strategic restructuring away from being a semiconductor product company and began to focus on licensing intellectual property.<ref name="TMTA_Sony"/> In March 2005, Transmeta announced that it was laying off 68 people while retaining 208 employees. [[Sony Corporation|Sony]] was reported to be a key licensee of Transmeta technology and approximately half of the remaining employees were to work on [[LongRun2]] power optimization technology for Sony.

On May 31, 2005, Transmeta announced the signing of asset purchase and license agreements with Hong Kong’s Culture.com Technology Limited. The deal fell apart due to delays in obtaining technology export licenses from the [[US Department of Commerce]] and the parties announced the termination of the agreements on February 9, 2006.

On August 10, 2005, Transmeta announced its first-ever profitable quarter. This was followed by [[GameSpot]]’s March 20, 2006 report that Transmeta was working on an “unnamed” [[Microsoft]] project. As it turned out, this was a secure platform under the [[AMD]] brand for Microsoft's [[FlexGo]] program.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://investor.transmeta.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=199462 |title=AMD To Provide Transmeta Efficeon Microprocessor Supporting Microsoft FlexGo Technology In Emerging Markets |publisher=Investor.transmeta.com |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317185042/http://investor.transmeta.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=199462 |archive-date=March 17, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

On October 11, 2006, Transmeta announced that they had filed a lawsuit against [[Intel Corporation]] for infringement of ten Transmeta U.S. patents covering computer architecture and power efficiency technologies. The complaint charged that Intel had infringed and was infringing Transmeta's patents by making and selling a variety of microprocessor products, including at least Intel's Pentium III, Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core and Core 2 product line.

On February 7, 2007, Transmeta shut down its engineering services division terminating 75 employees in the process. This was concurrent with an announcement that the company would no longer develop and sell hardware and would focus on the development and licensing of intellectual property.<ref name="TMTA_Quits_Proc_Biz"/> Subsequently, [[AMD]] invested $7.5 million in Transmeta, planning to use the company's patent portfolio in energy-efficient technologies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/AMD+invests+7.5+million+in+Transmeta/2100-1014_3-6195239.html |title=AMD invests $7.5 million in Transmeta - CNET News.com |publisher=News.com.com |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716001323/http://news.cnet.com/AMD-invests-7.5-million-in-Transmeta/2100-1014_3-6195239.html |archive-date=July 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

On October 24, 2007, Transmeta announced an agreement to settle its lawsuit against Intel Corporation. Intel agreed to pay $150 million upfront and $20 million per year for five years to Transmeta in addition to dropping its counterclaims against Transmeta. Transmeta also agreed to license several of its patents and assign a small portfolio of patents to Intel as part of the deal.<ref name="Intel_Settlement"/>
Transmeta also agreed to never manufacture x86 compatible processors again. One significant sore point in the Intel litigation was the payout of approximately $34M to three of Transmeta's executives.<ref name="cashingin">{{cite web|title=Angry investor offers to buy Transmeta|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/01/riley_investments_offers_to_buy_transmeta|website=The Register|date=February 1, 2008}}</ref><ref name="SEC_10K2008">{{cite web|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1001193/000095013408015699/f42595dedef14a.htm|title=Transmeta Corporation Schedule 14A|pages=19–20|date=August 25, 2008|publisher=Securities and Exchange Commission}}</ref> In late 2008, Intel and Transmeta reached a further agreement to transfer the $20 million per year in one lump sum.

On August 8, 2008, Transmeta announced that it had licensed its LongRun and low power chip technologies to [[Nvidia]] for a one time license fee of $25 million.<ref name="NVidia_License"/> On November 17, Transmeta announced the signing of a definitive agreement to be acquired by [[Novafora]], a digital video processor company based in [[Santa Clara, California]], for $255.6 million in cash, subject to adjustments dependent on working capital.<ref name="Bought">{{cite web|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10099126-92.html|title=Transmeta finds a buyer|publisher=cnet.com|author=Ina Fried|date=November 17, 2008}}</ref> The deal was finalized on January 28, 2009, when Novafora announced the completion of its acquisition of Transmeta.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20090128213642_Novafora_Sells_Off_Certain_Transmeta_s_Patents_at_the_Day_of_Completion_of_Acquisition.html|title=Novafora Sells Off Certain Transmeta's Patents at the Day of Completion of Acquisition|publisher=xbitlabs.com|access-date=November 13, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202234734/http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20090128213642_Novafora_Sells_Off_Certain_Transmeta_s_Patents_at_the_Day_of_Completion_of_Acquisition.html|archive-date=December 2, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Intellectual Venture Funding LLC<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intellectualventures.com |title=Intellectual Venture Funding LLC |publisher=Intellectualventures.com |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> completed the acquisition of the patent portfolio formerly developed and owned by Transmeta Corporation on February 4, 2009.
<ref name="Bought"/>

Due to financial troubles and inability to execute, Novafora collapsed in late July, 2009.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4084135/Transmeta-buyer-Novafora-goes-under-says-report |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730054939/http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4084135/Transmeta-buyer-Novafora-goes-under-says-report |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-30 |title=Transmeta buyer Novafora goes under, says report |magazine=EE Times |access-date=2014-03-03 }}</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120731171015/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000508550&fid=942 globes.co.il] </ref>