Sony puts Transmeta-powered laptop in the picture
Manufacturer set to ship the first notebook powered by Crusoe chip.
Sony will be the first notebook manufacturer to ship the power-saving Crusoe chip from Transmeta with the launch of the PictureBook laptop next month.
The PictureBook features a digital video camera and is expected to cost $2,299 (£1,628). It weighs 2.2lbs and is 1in thick.
Alongside the Crusoe processor, the latest model will also feature an improved digital display and 128Mb of memory, double the amount of previous models.
This ends a development period of nearly five years for Transmeta's postage-stamp-sized Crusoe, and other vendors are also set to have offerings out before the year-end, though UK availability is under question.
Manufacturer Quanta has said it will ship Crusoe-powered products to IBM later this year, and Hitachi is expected to start selling Crusoe-powered notebooks to the US in November.
Gateway and AOL will use Transmeta processors for their jointly developed "internet appliance" products that will go on sale later this year.
Meanwhile, Intel's small-die sized Timna chip, designed specifically for mobiles, will debut at 700Mhz in the second quarter next year.
Timna is an integrated Celeron chip which combines a processor core, graphics engine and memory controller. Intel aims to help computer manufacturers by removing costs from the manufacturing bill of goods for low-end PCs.
- AMD has said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it is seeking to raise $2bn in stock and debt securities, with some of the money going towards future acquisitions.
No possible acquisition targets were identified, but industry speculation has linked Intel's major rival with a move for Transmeta. However, while AMD has been in discussion with Transmeta about sharing technologies, its president, Hector Ruiz, said his company has no plans to extend the relationship beyond that.