Answer to question 1: Yes, there are secret features of all x86 chips that
Intel licenses. This confirms my suspicion that GNU/Linux users have always
been missing out on performance and still are. However, that does not mean I
am considering going back to non-free software. I repeat my previous
sentiment that if Intel is not with us or for us, why should we be for them?
My source is the wiki for x86 architecture. When it comes to the open?
question, the wiki has this
Partly. For some advanced features, x86 may require license from Intel;
x86-64 may require an additional license from AMD. The 80486 processor has
been on the market for over 20 years [1] and so cannot be subject to patent
claims. This subset of the x86 architecture is therefore fully open.
(according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86)
So 586 and 686 users ARE missing out.
Now as for what copyleft hardware is, a good definition is:
You can say your product is Qi hardware if it has:
* Copyleft Plans (CC BY-SA): Plans to manufacture the device.
* Copyleft Software (GPL): Software to use the device and to construct it
from the plans.
* Patent-Free: Patents free and clear for technology on the device.
The goal of Qi is to have 100% Copyleft Hardware.
that was taken from qi-hardware.com
They are very forward thinking because they DO translate the 4 freedoms into
the hardware world and have already made 2 copyleft products of which I have
one, the MilkyMist and the Nanonote
People may not be able to replicate hardware, but manufacturers can and they
can use copyleft plans easily
