Intel is leading by example. They want OEMs to be more creative and innovative, and they are using marketing muscle to create demand for new compute categories.

The NUC/stick are the same, and the Surfaces are Microsoft's way of pushing their OEMs forward. Nexus/Pixel is Google's same realization that they cant just provide one component and pray for third parties to deliver consistent top tier products. These companies create a specific component (processors, Windows, Android) and then release a reference to prevent a race to the bottom. If an OEM cant beat the reference, consumers will buy it instead.