David Berlind questions whether Intel's “x86” CPU architecture is truly the “industry standard” that we so often hear it called, in this interesting article at CNET . . .

“For technology buyers, the confusion of standards with proprietary technology has two unfortunate consequences. First, it creates the misperception that compliance, interoperability and compatibility with the so-called standard are guaranteed by an independent standards organization. Second, it creates an opportunity for the intellectual property holder of the proprietary technology to foreclose the competition . . .”

“There's no question that the IA-32 ecosystem appears strikingly similar to the ecosystem that surrounds many real industry standards . . . But referring to Intel's architecture as an industry standard in the same breath that Sun's offerings are referred to as proprietary sets an ugly precedent that will forever undermine the true spirit of the term 'standard' unless we all take more care to protect its meaning.”

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