Refers to the combination of the
Windows operating system running on
Intel microprocessors. The term is often used sarcastically to indicate the close alliance between
Intel and
Microsoft. Because Windows 3.x and Windows 95 run only on
x86 microprocessor architectures, Intel and Microsoft support each other in ways that many feel is unhealthy for the computer industry as a whole. However, it should be pointed out that
Windows NT runs on several non-x86 microprocessors, and there are other operating systems, such as
Linux, that run on Intel microprocessors.
