Does Dvorak really know what Transmeta is Doing? 68
Asdren writes "Dvorak supposedly sheds some light on
what Linus and Transmeta are up to. Check out his opinion
column here"
Low power x86 chips. Never heard that before *grin*.
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Does Dvorak really know what Transmeta is Doing?
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"Pok pok pok, P'kok!" -- Superchicken
advantage of 64 bit? (Score:1)
Dvorak's credibility notwithstanding... (Score:1)
...this isn't such a bad move. If Transmeta can create x86 processors that flexible, the applications are limitless. Computers and computing devices are getting dumbed down every day. Simple flexible devices with nimble processors could fill all sorts of consumer niches, like AOL TV-boxtops or mobile news/data readers. If that is indeed the case -- and I've heard nothing else to back up the columnist's claims -- then it's not a bad move.
Mot/IBM did this already (Score:1)
I dont know if anyone remembers, but IBM and Motorola actually created a chip named PowerPC 615 that was capable of executing x86 code natively whilst still being usable in Mac environments. There were so many problems that they ended up abandoning it. Why ?
1) Every time a x86 instruction was parsed a context switch had to occur. The number of these ended up being so high that the chip ran extremely slow.
2) The price of the chip was ridiculous when compared to the dismal performance. They both agreed that Intel/Cyrix/AMD would already make chips that were much faster and considerably cheaper.
3) The chip had problems over-heating in some cases.
So what I was wondering was if this chip is true, and it can load microcode instruction sets, then surely it would be much, much slower than simply a context switch. It also begs noting how Transmeta could come up with something that Intel/Motorola/IBM/Cyrix/AMD (all with vast amounts of money and R&D) couldnt think of.
Transmeta and Freedom (Score:1)
I know what Tramnsmeta is really up to! (Score:1)
Or is that Microsoft? Either way, we're in for some hard times ahead. Our only hope is that they run NT on it and it crashes before the subjugate us.
Dvorak? Oh, you mean the keyboard layout! (Score:1)
This is just Dvoraks opinion, and his opinions are usually wrong. He thinks he know the most closed kept secret in the known universe. RISC chip? Every newer x86 chip is internally RISC.
x86 is dead. Even Intel knows that, thats why they are working with HP.
We all know the truth. Transmeta is run by Aliens, and what they are actually doing is choosing which is the next Alien technology they will bring us. (The first was Linux)
reprogramming in field? (Score:1)
As far as Transmeta RISC x86 clones, interesting, believe it when I see it.
As far as day dreams go, Transmeta/Linus T. do a Socket 7 RISC chip, Linux writes some LINUX code that drops all the "X86 Emulation" crap and runs the chip "native" for a 25% preformance boost, Transmeta sells the 500MHz version for $100/ea, and Boom.... Linux rocks the world. /dream off
Fool (Proof) (Score:1)
Doesn't he belong to L0PHT or something? Or was it CotDC? And he calls himself a cracker!
Gadget Obscura (Score:1)
Everything I use my computer for split into 89437598375 different random devices? Look ma, it's Push 2!
I don't want one box that's a web browser, another that's a music player, another that's a word processor, another that's a network router, another that plays Quake, another that organizes my schedule, another that checks my email, and so on ad infinitum. Jini? Universal Plug and Play? I prefer all my wires *INSIDE* my box(which may or may not be half open). As for wireless, oh yes I can't wait for my wireless Jini enabled stereo system to be hacked from scannerboy and for me to go deaf at 4AM.
You just can't beat security through impossibility.
Every once in a while I get the feeling that half of the fads in Silicon Valley are started when one or two venture capitalists nods their head in understanding. Like a lightning bolt, "Bob Richguy Inc. just dropped a million bucks on that stupid concept" turns into "This is finally how we'll make money on the net".
Well, that million bucks had to go somewhere, so somebody's right.
In this case, I think the VC meeting was some poor schmuck sputtering trying to save his product(who knows what) until he finally--very accidentally--opened his mouth and let the magic words "More types of gadgets = More Units Sold = More Items For The Profit Margin To Multiply = $$$".
Don't believe me? You *KNOW* Push came from "We'll solve the problem of users not wanting to download $500,000 sites by doing it while they sleep, and we'll get a chunk of that $500,000 by finally getting BigCorp some hits!" Nod. Fad. Blink.
This isn't to say that I think Transmeta is going to fail. They won't--I'll flat out go wayyyy out on a limb and say that Transmeta is playing the industry with just a little too much skill to not truly have something up their sleeve. (Not even Microsoft has managed so much good press with so little product.) My honest guess is that they're planning to replace all those tiny custom chips that the semiconductor industry spurts out in mass quantities and replace them with one chip, in various die sizes, that just does everything.
God, Transmeta's good, they've even got me postulating. They've got something. I just hope they don't think that they're going to sell ten gadgets for each app my one PC manages quite well. Beyond every other argument I've already given, nine times out of ten three buttons and an LCD display does not a good user interface make.
Hurm. I'm going to start archiving these posts on my home page.
Yours Truly,
Dan Kaminsky
DoxPara Research [netpedia.net]
effugas@best.com [mailto]
Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend.
Why is Transmeta so secretive? (Score:1)
As it is, theyve got a small part of the general computing audience drooling in anticipation like the pavlovian blobs we are for a product that is not likely to change the average persons life immediately upon introduction, therefore few people really care.
Unless the reverse-engineered "facts" (read: rumors) are nothing but cover for a more novel application of their patents and collective technologies, in which case the tease wouldnt be very effective either since they still wouldnt have a huge market waiting to happen.
You people (Score:1)
More than that... (Score:1)
Intel has far more resources. If they had a good idea what Transmeta was up to, they could possibly get a competing product to market first or at least make things hairy for them.
No Subject Given (Score:1)
whoa!!!! Dvorak-proof. must be way secure...
neon? (Score:1)
Dvorak is an arrogant prick (Score:1)
Nice idea (Score:1)
Wearables/Ultraportables the future (Score:1)
Full access from everywhere is the next trend. The limited Palms won't be enough.
When can I invest? (Score:1)
advantage of 64 bit? (Score:1)
Okay... (Score:1)
RISC processors running x86 code are NOT new (Score:1)
Advanced 6-Issue RISC86® Superscalar Microarchitecture
- Seven parallel specialized execution units
- Multiple sophistocated x86-to-RISC86 instruction decoders
- Advanced two-level branch prediction
- Speculative execution
- Out-of-order execution
- Register renaming and data forwarding
- Issues up to six RISC86 instructions per clock
Large On-Chip Split 64-Kbyte Level-One (L1) Cache- 32-Kbyte instruction cache with additional predecode cache
- 32-Kbyte writeback dual-ported data cache
- MESI protocol support
High-Performance IEEE 754-Compatable and 854-Compatable Floating-Point UnitHigh-Performance Industry-Standard MMX(TM) Instructions
321-Pin Ceramic Pin Grid Array (CPGA) Package (Socket 7 Compatable)
Industry-Standard System Management Mode (SMM) IEEE 1149.1 Boundary Scan
Full x86 Binary Software Compatability
On top of that, this technique goes as far back as the K5 [berkeley.edu], as documented in the Great Microprocessors of the Past and Present [berkeley.edu], and may even predate that.
If Dvorak thinks this is new, he's smoking something. If Transmeta supports more than just the x86 instructions, then they may have a viable product that is new. To be able to execute code compiled and written for other platforms would be a blessing. Programmers would no longer be limited to one platform, and one CPU could pretend to be another type. To acomplish this task is a daunting feat, and if they can pull it off with excellent performance, I'll be very impressed. To be honest, I'm not sure such an endeavor is possible. The K5, AMD's first attempt at such a task for the x86 resulted in slower performance. While code could be written specifically for the RISC86 instructions, the translation from x86 was horriblly slow. AMD bought NextGen and used their technologies to create the K6, a much improved design, which can actually outperform the Intel x86's, FPU not withstanding.
There is of course only one emulated platform for that CPU. If I understand the supposed ability of the Transmeta vaporware, it will be able to support even more, but I don't see how it will be able to outperform with out being "specialized". Maybe I'm thinking too hard, but I don't see the Transmeta chip, blowing away it's competition. Aside from a developers platform, A slower more capable CPU for the consumer isn't going to be a big selling point. If the user wanted a 68k processor, he'd have bought one...
Just my 2,
Baggio
Time flies like an arrow;
Dvorak is an arrogant prick (Score:1)
Nonetheless, however, I still enjoy Dvorak. Even if he's always wrong.
x86 risc (Score:1)
As for the K6, I haven't examined AMD's chip details for a while, but I highly doubt it.
advantage of 64 bit? (Score:1)
hes an idiot. (Score:1)
Hmm, for some reason I always got the impression that he was some closet-Mac abuser. Now, I haven't read any of his drivel since the mid-late 80's, so I could have a few leaks in the old memory. But as I recall, he was a regular writer for Mac User magazine.
About the only article he wrote that I actually agreed with was his tirade against 5.25 floppies. This was an article in the DEC Professional magazine sometime around 88-89.
Sounds like Christianity... or Mac users (Score:1)
Or the average age....
The title seems a little anti-Dvorak... (Score:1)
The signal-to-noise ratio on slashdot is already low enough as it is.
At least he's covering Transmeta.
new chip (Score:1)
transmeta not public (Score:1)
Did a search on quote.com anyway & came up with nothing.
=moJ
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Member in Good Standing,
$$$? (Score:1)
That's all I want.. prices... and based on that I then want to know if they're naming it with a name to make fun of the Xeon (an over priced chip, but a good chip I think)... then, does this mean the performance will be similar too?
If this chip came out for $200 for a 500mhz version (or higher... lower power, means cooler, means faster in my head).. I'd get one even if it was a proprietary slot!
Re: Transition/The Dream (Score:1)
I can't imagine Linus accepted this position without the belief that it was an opportunity to do something significantly beyond providing for Tove and the kids. I'm patiently waiting for the announcements to commence and expect to be pleased with the concepts and potential.
x86 risc (Score:1)