AMD to market/produce Efficeon processor?

[Yousuf Khan]

This story is confusing, does this mean that AMD is now producing
Efficeon processors? Or just marketing them? They're calling them "AMD
Efficeon" so maybe AMD is producing them now?

Yousuf Khan

"SUNNYVALE, Calif. (AP) -- Shares of chip makers Advanced Micro Devices
Inc. and Transmeta Corp. moved up in after-hours trading Monday after
the two companies announced a deal for AMD to supply and market a
recently unveiled, specialized version of the Efficeon microprocessor in
emerging markets.

Transmeta shares added 14 cents, or nearly 9 percent, to $1.73 in
after-hours trading. AMD moved up 13 cents to $29.19 in the extended
session.

Transmeta designed the AMD Efficeon microprocessor to work with FlexGo,
the Microsoft technology that enables pay-as-you-go and subscription
computing, the companies said.

FlexGo will launch in Mexico, China, India and Russia within the next
three months.

Financial details were not disclosed."
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060605/amd_transmeta_mover.html?.v=1

 

[daytripper]

This story is confusing, does this mean that AMD is now producing
Efficeon processors? Or just marketing them? They're calling them "AMD
Efficeon" so maybe AMD is producing them now?

Yousuf Khan

"Supply" could imply AMD will be producing them.
Perhaps these are fab-fillers?

 

[Yousuf Khan]

"Supply" could imply AMD will be producing them.
Perhaps these are fab-fillers?

You'd think that's the last thing they can afford to do? I thought they
needed every wafer they could get for their own production?

However, they did say it's for use with the Microsoft Flex-Go program,
and perhaps Geode at 500Mhz isn't fast enough to run Windows XP?

Yousuf Khan

 

[Del Cecchi]

You'd think that's the last thing they can afford to do? I thought they
needed every wafer they could get for their own production?

However, they did say it's for use with the Microsoft Flex-Go program,
and perhaps Geode at 500Mhz isn't fast enough to run Windows XP?

Yousuf Khan

Perhaps they have older fab capacity at 200mm/130 nm or 90 nm? So they
migrate the opterons to 65 and build this for a couple years with the 90
nm capacity.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Perhaps they have older fab capacity at 200mm/130 nm or 90 nm? So they
migrate the opterons to 65 and build this for a couple years with the 90
nm capacity.

That's certainly a possibility. The Efficeon processor die is supposed
to be a stingy 65 mm^2, which works out to 440 dies per 200 mm wafer.
But I don't know at what node that die size was obtained from; was
Efficeon ever produced at 90 nm, or was it just produced at 130 nm? If
it was at 130 nm, then some work needs to be done to fab it at 90 nm.
And even if was done previously at 90 nm, can it be done on a SOI process?

Also some of the newer stories are starting to make it sound like AMD is
just marketing the chip, and nothing else.

ITworld.com - AMD to resell Transmeta chip for pay-as-you-go PCs
""For the first time, Transmeta and the Efficeon technology will have
the brand and power and reach of AMD," said Art Swift, president and
chief executive officer of Transmeta. "[Our goal is] to reach as many
consumers in the world as possible in emerging markets.""
http://www.itworld.com/Comp/1986/060606amdtransmeta/

 

[Tony Hill]

"Supply" could imply AMD will be producing them.
Perhaps these are fab-fillers?

My take on this is that it's more a question of AMD marketing the chip
and using their distribution channel. I suspect that the chips are
still going to be designed by Transmeta and manufactured by whoever
fabs the Transmeta chips (IBM? TSMC?). I could be wrong, but it looks
to me to be more a question of outsourcing marketing and distribution
to foreign markets where Transmeta maybe doesn't have/want much of a
permanent presence of their own.

 

[David Kanter]

My take on this is that it's more a question of AMD marketing the chip

and using their distribution channel. I suspect that the chips are
still going to be designed by Transmeta and manufactured by whoever
fabs the Transmeta chips (IBM? TSMC?). I could be wrong, but it looks
to me to be more a question of outsourcing marketing and distribution
to foreign markets where Transmeta maybe doesn't have/want much of a
permanent presence of their own.

I think you're right. AFAIK, Transmeta uses Fujitsu for their fab. I
don't really imagine them wanting to port to AMD's process unless it's
really worth it.

Quite frankly, TMTA barely does any chip business...they are basically
a circuit consulting house now. However, it looks like they believe
this may change, and perhaps it will.

I'll be damned if I'd ever recommend to anyone to buy anything on a pay
per use basis though. I've used cell phones in africa, and they are a
rip off. This 'flex go' PC sounds somewhat predatory...like pawn
shops, preying on the folks who cannot afford the alternatives.

There are plenty alternatives, like refurbishing older PCs and instead
of dropping them in Chinese rivers, using them for something
productive.

DK

 

[Yousuf Khan]

There are plenty alternatives, like refurbishing older PCs and instead
of dropping them in Chinese rivers, using them for something
productive.

I don't think even refurbished older PCs are cheap enough for these
price points. And even after that, who's going to pay for the Microsoft
operating system? At least without pirating it? Whereas Linux was the
only option until now (in a legitimate fashion), this gives people
access to Microsoft.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Keith]

I don't think even refurbished older PCs are cheap enough for these
price points. And even after that, who's going to pay for the Microsoft
operating system? At least without pirating it? Whereas Linux was the
only option until now (in a legitimate fashion), this gives people
access to Microsoft.

The refurbished PC *has* a M$ license. I know of at least one group that
puts these things back together to give to diabled veterans. Tracking
licenses is an interesting problem though. ...but it's going to be hard
for Billy to prove a system didn't have a Win_license of some sort.

 

[Nate Edel]

I don't think even refurbished older PCs are cheap enough for these
price points. And even after that, who's going to pay for the Microsoft
operating system? At least without pirating it? Whereas Linux was the
only option until now (in a legitimate fashion), this gives people
access to Microsoft.

Well, that and the "Basic Edition" Microsoft licenses. Not to mention the
fact that for one big market in the third world - internet cafes - having to
reimage machines every 30 days to get around activation is hardly an
imposition.

 

[The little lost angel]

fact that for one big market in the third world - internet cafes - having to
reimage machines every 30 days to get around activation is hardly an
imposition.

Which is probably why for they usually are smart enough to use a
version that doesn't need activation

 

[David Kanter]

I don't think even refurbished older PCs are cheap enough for these
price points. And even after that, who's going to pay for the Microsoft
operating system? At least without pirating it?

The non profit I worked with in Africa was sponsored by MS. We had a
license to install Win2K and Office XP on all the machines.

The price for the machines was shipping to Africa, and some UPS,
voltage stabilizers and surge protectors. Say around 5-6K/500 PCs.
Hard to beat that price.

Whereas Linux was the
only option until now (in a legitimate fashion), this gives people
access to Microsoft.

Also as noted, all the machines had licenses with them as well. We
didn't use linux at all. Most companies use windows, so you teach the
students windows.

You don't teach truck drivers how to ride a motorcycle, or
motorcyclists how to drive trucks. Different skill sets...

DK

 

[Nate Edel]

Which is probably why for they usually are smart enough to use a
version that doesn't need activation

They may well do that, but my own thought was that odds are even reasonably
locked down the customers are going to screw up the machines such that they
need reimaging before the 30 days are up

 

[The little lost angel]

They may well do that, but my own thought was that odds are even reasonably
locked down the customers are going to screw up the machines such that they
need reimaging before the 30 days are up

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. Correct me if I'm mistaken
to think you mean that due to them being cybercafes, the computers get
screwed up by the customers so that they often need re-imaging before
30 days are up. My understanding from friends who run cybercafes is
that doesn't happen too often if you're doing it right

From my personal experience, the casual customer like me isn't going
to be able to do anything much to the system because they tend to use
some kind of launcher app that controls the system so you can only
activate the programs but never get access to the actual desktop. Most
of the keyboard shortcuts like CTRL+ESC also appear to be blocked.

 

[Nate Edel]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. Correct me if I'm mistaken
to think you mean that due to them being cybercafes, the computers get
screwed up by the customers so that they often need re-imaging before
30 days are up. My understanding from friends who run cybercafes is
that doesn't happen too often if you're doing it right

May well be the cybercafes I've been using.

From my personal experience, the casual customer like me isn't going
to be able to do anything much to the system because they tend to use
some kind of launcher app that controls the system so you can only
activate the programs but never get access to the actual desktop. Most
of the keyboard shortcuts like CTRL+ESC also appear to be blocked.

Sounds like they've got a better class of cybercafes; the ones I've used
tend to be a straight User/Power User account: fairly limited ability to
install software or do administrator tasks... but enough so I've almost
always been able to pull down a copy of putty and run it.

 

[nil_einne1]

I think you're right. AFAIK, Transmeta uses Fujitsu for their fab. I
don't really imagine them wanting to port to AMD's process unless it's
really worth it.

Quite frankly, TMTA barely does any chip business...they are basically
a circuit consulting house now. However, it looks like they believe
this may change, and perhaps it will.

I'll be damned if I'd ever recommend to anyone to buy anything on a pay
per use basis though. I've used cell phones in africa, and they are a
rip off. This 'flex go' PC sounds somewhat predatory...like pawn
shops, preying on the folks who cannot afford the alternatives.

I'm not too sure about the flex go either but I'd have to seriously
disagree with you on pay per use/prepaid/whatever with regards to
mobile phones. I don't know about Africa but the prepaid idea works
well in most of the rest of the world. Sure the prices/min etc are
higher and especially for things like data it can be a real rip off.
But the fact is, when you only make a few calls in a month and so don't
spend anything close to the monthly subscription cost for a postpaid
account, it's a good idea. It might be nice if providers were to offer
very low priced plans for low usage users but they don't. In many
developing parts of the world, it's not just about low usage but also
problems relating to guaranteeing credit.