Transmeta are still ploughing ahead with their strategy to introduce the crusoe processor as the true mobility chip, even though both IBM and Compaq announced that they will wait a while before they decide whether they will be using the Crusoe chip in their portable models. At the Comdex conference Transmeta released details about their future development strategy which is to aim at increasing the performance of their Crusoe chip every six months.

The also announced that in 2002, they will be introducing the new crusoe which will be in possession of new architecture and will perform at twice the existing speed of current crusoe chips and consume 50% less power.

Currently Intel sell a mobile Pentium III Speed Step processor that is designed for low-power usage in portable machines that both IBM and Compaq will be using instead of the Crusoe. This processor is stated as operating as fast as 700Mhz whereas Crusoe at present only runs between 600-533Mhz.

The Transmeta chip is upgraded through the chips code morphing software (CMS) which allows the processor to read command lines at the software level, whereas to upgrade an Intel chip, additional transistors are needed.