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I liked the Transmeta web page from before they launched. It was just bare HTML with no styling. It said: This page is not here yet. The product hype and la

I liked the Transmeta web page from before they launched. It was just bare HTML with no styling. It said: This page is not here yet. The product hype and lack of knowledge about what it was meant that nobody knew what to expect. In these hyped expectations, and with Torvalds on board, everyone expected that everything would be different. But it wasn't. A similar product launch was the Segway, where we went from this incredible vision of everyone on Segways to nobody wanting one. The hype was part of the problem with Transmeta. Even in it's delivered form it could have found a niche. For example, the network computer was in vogue at the time, thanks to Oracle. A different type of device, like a Chromebook might have worked. With Torvalds connected to Transmeta and the stealthy development, we never did get to hear about who was really behind Transmeta and why.

tyingq 1y ago
https://web.archive.org/web/19970710102251/http://www.transmeta.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/19970710102251/http://www.transm... Then, https://web.archive.org/web/20000229173916/http://www.transmeta.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20000229173916/http://www.transm... , when content appeared around Feb 2000. Product launch PDF from Jan 19, 2000: https://web.archive.org/web/20000815231116/http://www.transmeta.com/press/download/pdf/ditzel.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20000815231116/http://www.transm...
- Theodores 1y ago
  Thanks for that, I was almost right - This web page is not here yet. I still use this as important placeholder text, not that anyone outside HN would get the reference.
- sgerenser 1y ago
  It looks like rather than hiring a designer, they let one of their engineers (or worse, the CEO) design the Transmeta logo. I don’t know what that font is, but it might be even worse than Papyrus.
  - tyingq 1y ago
    Amplia Pro, maybe. https://www.myfonts.com/collections/amplia-pro-font-jonahfonts/?srsltid=AfmBOoqQcY1DGLnhZvB2XQo0IonpxJ96HSyTeB3eAx70PosRYW28SlF_ https://www.myfonts.com/collections/amplia-pro-font-jonahfon...
lproven 1y ago
> I liked the Transmeta web page from before they launched. It was just bare HTML with no styling. It said: > > This page is not here yet. I remember that fondly. If you did view source there was a comment that said something like: No, there are no hidden messages in the source code, either.
aleph_minus_one 1y ago
> A similar product launch was the Segway, where we went from this incredible vision of everyone on Segways to nobody wanting one. The problem with Segway in Germany was rather the certification for road traffic. Because of the insane red tape involved, the introduction was delayed, and for the same reason nobody thus wanted one.
- mring33621 1y ago
  The children of Segway are still here! Electric unicycles and Onewheels! And they're really fun!
  - _ea1k 1y ago
    Yeah, for me Segway has been a great lesson in how patents can hold back innovation. It was a niche player that prevented others from trying to innovate on the form factor for a number of years.
    - mring33621 1y ago
      True! In a similar vein: One of the dads at school runs a company that does a nanotech waterproof coating for electronics (backed by patents). I told him that it would be very useful for personal electric vehicles, like electric unicycles. He replied that they looked at that, but decided not to license the tech for that use, because there wasn't enough money in it. Sad.
      - 4ggr0 11mo ago
        > because there wasn't enough money in it i wonder what the world or progress in general would look like if profit-incentives didn't matter (as much as they do), and instead just "would this take us forwards as societies?" or in a different way, what are we missing out on just because some people think stuff has to be profitable in order to be "good".
- cycomanic 1y ago
  I seriously doubt that was the problem. The issue was always that these things were essentially a walking aid for the price of a motorbike/small car and were particularly useless in Europe where you had to transverse cobble stone roads or take one onto the metro (good luck with that). They were a complete hype product, their projections that they would essentially replace walking and pushbikes were just crazy. I don't think I know anyone who wanted one for more than as a toy. As a side note, at a ee department where I was teaching around 10 years ago, one student build one as his final year project. Pretty awesome, he essentially did everything himself from software to all the mechanics/electronics... Worked very well as well.
rvbissell 1y ago
It also said in an html comment, there are no secret messages in this html there are no tyops in this html which at the time I took as some inside joke.
bobanrocky 1y ago
Network computer - SUN, Not oracle. Oracle is not a company anyone would associate with engineering innovations!

tyingq 1y ago

https://web.archive.org/web/19970710102251/http://www.transmeta.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/19970710102251/http://www.transm... Then, https://web.archive.org/web/20000229173916/http://www.transmeta.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20000229173916/http://www.transm... , when content appeared around Feb 2000. Product launch PDF from Jan 19, 2000: https://web.archive.org/web/20000815231116/http://www.transmeta.com/press/download/pdf/ditzel.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20000815231116/http://www.transm...

Theodores 1y ago
Thanks for that, I was almost right - This web page is not here yet. I still use this as important placeholder text, not that anyone outside HN would get the reference.
sgerenser 1y ago
It looks like rather than hiring a designer, they let one of their engineers (or worse, the CEO) design the Transmeta logo. I don’t know what that font is, but it might be even worse than Papyrus.
- tyingq 1y ago
  Amplia Pro, maybe. https://www.myfonts.com/collections/amplia-pro-font-jonahfonts/?srsltid=AfmBOoqQcY1DGLnhZvB2XQo0IonpxJ96HSyTeB3eAx70PosRYW28SlF_ https://www.myfonts.com/collections/amplia-pro-font-jonahfon...

lproven 1y ago

> I liked the Transmeta web page from before they launched. It was just bare HTML with no styling. It said: > > This page is not here yet. I remember that fondly. If you did view source there was a comment that said something like: No, there are no hidden messages in the source code, either.

aleph_minus_one 1y ago

> A similar product launch was the Segway, where we went from this incredible vision of everyone on Segways to nobody wanting one. The problem with Segway in Germany was rather the certification for road traffic. Because of the insane red tape involved, the introduction was delayed, and for the same reason nobody thus wanted one.

mring33621 1y ago
The children of Segway are still here! Electric unicycles and Onewheels! And they're really fun!
- _ea1k 1y ago
  Yeah, for me Segway has been a great lesson in how patents can hold back innovation. It was a niche player that prevented others from trying to innovate on the form factor for a number of years.
  - mring33621 1y ago
    True! In a similar vein: One of the dads at school runs a company that does a nanotech waterproof coating for electronics (backed by patents). I told him that it would be very useful for personal electric vehicles, like electric unicycles. He replied that they looked at that, but decided not to license the tech for that use, because there wasn't enough money in it. Sad.
    - 4ggr0 11mo ago
      > because there wasn't enough money in it i wonder what the world or progress in general would look like if profit-incentives didn't matter (as much as they do), and instead just "would this take us forwards as societies?" or in a different way, what are we missing out on just because some people think stuff has to be profitable in order to be "good".
cycomanic 1y ago
I seriously doubt that was the problem. The issue was always that these things were essentially a walking aid for the price of a motorbike/small car and were particularly useless in Europe where you had to transverse cobble stone roads or take one onto the metro (good luck with that). They were a complete hype product, their projections that they would essentially replace walking and pushbikes were just crazy. I don't think I know anyone who wanted one for more than as a toy. As a side note, at a ee department where I was teaching around 10 years ago, one student build one as his final year project. Pretty awesome, he essentially did everything himself from software to all the mechanics/electronics... Worked very well as well.

rvbissell 1y ago

It also said in an html comment, there are no secret messages in this html there are no tyops in this html which at the time I took as some inside joke.

bobanrocky 1y ago

Network computer - SUN, Not oracle. Oracle is not a company anyone would associate with engineering innovations!