Software platform: Windows, Linux, OS X
Business platform: Nvidia MB, chipset, vidcard, amd or intel cpu (probably leaning more toward intel now) and they would prefer not to piss off Bill and recommend Windows OS.
Hardware platform: Amd or Intel
You break it down even further: Socket 939 or LGA 775 or even Nforce4 or Via for older chipsets.
But I never hear of people saying they are on a Front Side Bus platform or a Hypertransport platform.
For me, an AMD platform isn't just the dfi motherboard.....it needs an amd CPU to be an amd platform. Not saying my view is right or wrong....it's my definition
I think where things got lost in this whole mess, is when "architecture" and "platform" somehow got thrown together. Amds architecture is way different than intels......no one can argue that. But when you say "Intel platform" you have to include an intel cpu, the same as saying an "Amd platform" you have to include an amd cpu. Otherwise you might as well say "Desktop computer platform" and throw everything together (which is what I think happened here) and be left arguing about what sub-components work better than others.
So......what else is new?
I can agree with you there... Maybe we should all start using the terminology... "the platform that xxx is using"