[msla]

> Why the expectation of a monotonically increasing version number if intel has almost never done it before?

"Almost never" except for 8086/80286/80386/80486, you mean.

But who remembers those obscurities?

[throw0101a]

Pentium 2/3/4:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium

[msla]

And the "Pentium" itself, arguably, being a "penta-" name coming after the 80486.

But the Pentium broke the numbering scheme to an extent, with the Pentium Pro wedged between the Pentium and Pentium II.