Not dead yet: Transmeta's fanless Media Center plans
Transmeta's Entertainment Center Initiative
The product: Acknowledging that the company can only lose money for so long, processor manufacturer Transmeta opened up about its current and new OEM partnerships and initiatives at CES 2005. While Transmeta's low-power CPUs have found their way into tablet PCs, laptops, and most recently, the OQO 01 palmtop PC, the company has always lagged behind Intel and AMD. However, Transmeta's cooler-operating Efficeon processors would be a perfect fit for Media Center PCs--something we saw a lot of at CES. Why? Because one of the biggest complaints about several of the Media Center computers we've seen has been their fan noise. The low-heat operation of the Efficeon processor allows PC makers to go fanless and use smaller form factors. Companies onboard with Transmeta's plans include ATI, Hauppauge Digital, InterVideo, Zedeon, and Zoran Corporation. We liked the prototypes it had on display, though it was hard to tell how silent they were with the din from the convention crowd.

The price: One of the reasons several companies have opted to use Transmeta processors was their lower costs over that of top-dog Intel's CPUs. Using an Efficeon in a Media Center might make the technology more accessible for the average consumer.

The prospects: If it can actually convince more system builders to give its processors a chance, Transmeta might be able to find itself as a key part of the Media Center computer niche. Fan noise is a major buzz kill when it comes to having a computer in your living room. Do away with the fans, and you have yourself something very entertainment-center-friendly.

By Joshua Goldman, staff editor, Computer Shopper