NEW YORK-Transmeta Corp. and its Crusoe line of processors received enthusiastic applause from investors as the San Francisco company went public Nov. 7.
The 13 million share initial public offering, lead managed by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, priced at $21 each, well above the $16-$18 expected range in its Aug. 17 registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Early this year, Transmeta introduced production samples of its Crusoe chip, which is designed specifically for mobile applications. The TM3200 is geared for handheld devices like smart phones and personal digital assistants. The TM5400 and TM5600 are designed to run Linux or Windows operating systems on notebook computers.
Transmeta said its small Crusoe chips can run complex programs while also generating far less heat and using far less power than other processors.
Intel Corp., AMD and National Semiconductor are its primary competitors, the company said.
