THE man who wrote Linux, the upstart rival to Microsoft’s Windows operating
system, now believes he’s ready to take on Intel—with a new low-power
microprocessor that is claimed to extend the battery life of laptops and
palmtops. Linus Torvalds says that his company’s new Crusoe processor is just as
fast as its rivals, only smaller and cheaper to make because it has shed many
thousands of transistors.
Transmeta, a company in Santa Clara, California, where Torvalds is a senior
software engineer, launched its Intel-compatible processor last week after
months of speculation fuelled by sketchy clues hidden on the firm’s…
