A computer's architecture can refer to the components of the computer (i.e., its hardware); to the software that is executed by the computer; or both. An open architecture is an architecture whose specifications are in the public domain. These specifications can be approved and sanctioned by regulatory bodies, or they can be developed commercially (i.e., by a company, corporation, etc.) and then published for general distribution. The public access to a particular design allows any designer or manufacturer to produce products to those specifications. Open architecture is a great boon to the consumer because, in general, more manufacturers mean more competition, which leads to lower prices and greater choice in the choice of a particular product.

Open architecture has found its greatest application in the personal computer (PC) industry. When microcomputers were introduced in the early 1970s, most manufacturers produced computers whose software and...