Alex Oughton Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 According to AppleInsider, Transmeta have filed a lawsuit against Intel, which could threaten the supply of processors for Macintosh products. The lawsuit reportedly regards no less than 10 violations of Transmeta's patents covering processor design and power efficiency technologies. Transmeta are seeking damages, royalty payments, and an injunction preventing Intel from selling infringing processors such as both the Core and Core 2 processors, as found in Apple's current line of Macs, after the two companies failed to agree to licensing terms, according to Transmeta's President and Chief Executive Officer Arthur Swift. AppleInsider: Nine of the 10 Transmeta patents invoked in the lawsuit cover basic processor functions like scheduling and addressing instructions on the chip, according to InfoWorld. The tenth patent reportedly relates to Transmeta's LongRun technology, which is used to adjust the voltage of the processor, depending on its workload. If granted, an injunction could prevent further shipments of Intel's Core 2 Duo to Apple, which would halt the roll-out of Core 2 Duo-based MacBook and MacBook Pro systems due a little later this year. It would also freeze production of Apple's other Intel-based systems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollcage Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 as long as my macbook pro with core2duo (or the quad core) doesn't get pushed back so far that i can't get one by the time i start college, i'll be ok. if it goes longer than that, i'll be very angry (putting it as nicely as possible). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardFanning Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 This is FUD. Intel will agree to a settlement far before they will pull processors from the market or delay them for an extended period of time. The only problem I can forsee is if Intel is forced to change their price points due to the royalties being paid to Transmeta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takuro Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 More importantly, this doesn't just affect Macs. This affects the entire PC market! No Core 2 Duos for any line, whether it's HP or Gateway. An entire generation of computers would be affected by this lawsuit. Fortunately, I doubt that this will phase Intel at all. It's too late in the game to stop production, and the bulk of their profits are still to be made on Core 2 Duos. I've got 4 words: Out of court settlement. The "little guy" will be content and that's that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhsh8r Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 More importantly, this doesn't just affect Macs. This affects the entire PC market! No Core 2 Duos for any line, whether it's HP or Gateway. An entire generation of computers would be affected by this lawsuit. Fortunately, I doubt that this will phase Intel at all. It's too late in the game to stop production, and the bulk of their profits are still to be made on Core 2 Duos. I've got 4 words: Out of court settlement. The "little guy" will be content and that's that. Yea, but alot of those other companys also have AMD in their lineup, so they would not be as severely effected, they'd just push the AMD machienes more, but then again you also have a severely true point that this company will settle out of court and Intel will give them whatever they want because they cant afford to just sit on these chips or redesigne them well having no new cpus out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panda200x Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 greedy :censored2: transmeta Good Day for AMD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhsh8r Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 greedy transmetaGood Day for AMD? If you were a small guy letting a big corp use ur technologys and you couldnt reach an agreement (especially with 10 patents, this isnt just 1 and "In its first nine years of business, Transmeta, in Santa Clara, California, posted $650 million in losses. Last year, Transmeta switched business models and now focuses on licensing its technology.") wouldnt you sue too? and yes this may well be a good day for amd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbz Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Nothing will happen, this won't affect anyone, it'll all go away, we'll soon get the core 2 duo MBPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takuro Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 It's really not even a small speed bump. Whatever amount of money Transmeta asks for, it'll be infinitesimal compared to Intel's total revenue anyway. It's a small company that isn't doing so well, and by threatening a lawsuit, they can get a few dollars in their pocket via a settlement. In the tech world, this is very common among small and huge companies. I don't think AMD is going to benefit from this situation. It won't affect Intel's production probably, and nothing drastic will result from this. AMD will continue to slowly but surely gain market-share due to it's own positive assets, rather than due to Intel's lack-thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhsh8r Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 It's really not even a small speed bump. Whatever amount of money Transmeta asks for, it'll be infinitesimal compared to Intel's total revenue anyway. It's a small company that isn't doing so well, and by threatening a lawsuit, they can get a few dollars in their pocket via a settlement. In the tech world, this is very common among small and huge companies. I don't think AMD is going to benefit from this situation. It won't affect Intel's production probably, and nothing drastic will result from this. AMD will continue to slowly but surely gain market-share due to it's own positive assets, rather than due to Intel's lack-thereof. That is quite true... and its not like that small of a company could even truely effect Intel, its more like an annoyance, like gnats.... they dont really do ne thing but bug you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K4bren Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Frankly, It doesn't really mattter. Sure, it's something to keep an eye on, but I doubt anything big, if anything at all, will be affected by this "threat" (for lack of a better word) On second thought, this could be the big day for AMD and Apple, for them to push this out, if it's in the making that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artistan Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Or maybe Intel might just buy them out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardFanning Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Thats exactly what I forgot to add to my post. Why doesn't Intel just buy Transmeta so they can own their technologies instead of having to pay royalties to them. Intel definately could do it, the question is, will they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhsh8r Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Thats exactly what I forgot to add to my post. Why doesn't Intel just buy Transmeta so they can own their technologies instead of having to pay royalties to them. Intel definately could do it, the question is, will they? because transmitia is losing $, not making it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSkywalker Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I hope this one won't lead Intel to highly increase the CPU prices. More expensive Apple Hardware is exactly what we don't need. Is it just too optimistic to think that Apple might consider AMD chips? They have changed suppliers before, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhsh8r Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I hope this one won't lead Intel to highly increase the CPU prices. More expensive Apple Hardware is exactly what we don't need. Is it just too optimistic to think that Apple might consider AMD chips? They have changed suppliers before, anyway. If this does have amajor impact they would have to at least consider it, as they definately do not need any more price rises, but at like 48% profit that would still mean it would just cut their earnings... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSkywalker Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 48% profit?! Wow, they almost ask for the hackintosh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhsh8r Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 48% profit?! Wow, they almost ask for the hackintosh. Im not sure if thats for the macs, but it is for the iPod (ballpark, they dont release the actual #s... i wonder why... ) but id assume that if they mark up iPods that much they would do something similar with the computers (althought it couldnt be that much... but its probobly still alot) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardFanning Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Transmeta* is losing money, so it would be quite a bit easier for Intel to low ball them with a buyout price. Its much harder, expensive, to buy a company that is making money than it is to buy a company in the dire straights that is losing money. If the buy out costs Intel the same if not a little more than a settlement in the long, or short term, then Intel buying Transmeta would be a smart move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artistan Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Agreed. Besides Intel doesn't have to keep Transmeta. They buy them out, aquire the license for the technology and close the company down. Atleast that's what I would have do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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