While it is compatible with DX10.1 and OpenGL 3.0, it lacks the features necessary for OpenCL or DirectX Compute Shaders. To a large extent, this is because Intel designed the Sandy Bridge graphics before OpenCL standard was finalized. .

Maybe I missed it, but it seems the article mentions several features in Sandy Bridge that will be useful for OpenCL, but doesn't actually mention what feature is missing that prevents OpenCL support in Sandy Bridge. Is it possible for you to point out the big problems or is it under NDA?

http://software.intel.com/file/34436

And in regards to Compute Shader support, Sandy Bridge in fact supports CS4.x according to the Developer Guide above, pg 14 and 18. While not all DX10/10.1 GPUs support Compute Shaders and OpenCL (ie. ATI HD2000/HD3000), it previously seemed like GPUs that support at least Compute Shader 4.x also support OpenCL (ATI HD4000 and nVidia 8000). Is there something distinctively different between CS4.1 and OpenCL 1.0 that can't be worked around, which Intel seemed to have conveniently fallen into?

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/20035/eng/Graphics%20driver%20release%20notes.pdf

And Intel seems to have enabled OpenGL 3.1 support in their latest drivers for Sandy Bridge, up from OpenGL 3.0 at launch. I guess Ivy Bridge will need a new checkbox feature, perhaps they can jump directly to OpenGL 3.3?