PT is the industry standard because of they were the first stable DAW. They had farmcards that used DSP power to allay any software problems. ProTools crashed, but not as much as other completely software native applications. Remember that a lot of cats these days in the homestudio game use PT LE or M versions, like the M-Box, etc. Remember, though-- in the big leagues they still use the PT HD, which offers a stable environment for recording bands, etc. live.
Also, remember the "producer culture"-- any time PT comes out with latest converters or some unnecessary sample rate, audiophiles in the industry always compete to get the latest stuff. PT supplies the big studios for free with "sample" DAWs or systems, and the smaller cats then strive to be on par.
Plus, do you really think you can collab in the industry out in LA if you hand someone a Cakewalk file with audio pools? Hell no, they won't think you're "serious" because you don't have PT. The thing is, unless you're recording rock bands or live acts, you don't necessarily need PT anymore-- but it still is the industry standard. For reasons BigDMakinTrax and I pointed out.
-God