Why do many Linux distros still refer to the 64-bit versions as amd64? It's not as if it isn't already confusing and intimidating enough for first-time Linux users.

Most people know whether they have an AMD or Intel chip in their computer. If somebody has an Intel chip, it is counterintuitive to see "amd64" in the file name of the download.

Why not x86_64?

AMD developed the architecture and lobbied for that name heavily for marketing reasons.

http://lists.debian.org/debian-amd64.../msg00031.html

Before Intel's use of the architecture became well established, it looked like that lobbying might work. Intel's branding was a mess--they actually had two variations, IA32e and EM64T, and have since come up with even more names. Even Microsoft was using "AMD64":

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...ure.amd64.aspx

The thread where apt/Debian decided on the name contains a lot of data about what names other lower-level tools were using at the time:

http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=254598

Personally, I prefer x86_64 over amd64 or x64, but eh.

Yeah. It just seems like a confusion factor that doesn't need to be there for new Linux users.