I've been running dual cores (although not on the same chip!) for years
now, and I have to say that while I've often found that it doesn't help
individual programs to run much faster (since, like Henrik said, most
programs are still single threaded these days) I have certainly noticed
the difference when it comes to multitasking! I'm an engineer, and I've
often got some numerical simulation or other running, and with a second
core, my machine is still usable for other things while these
simulations are running!

I think, though, that to most average users (making no implications
here about yourself!), having a dual core is really just a kind of a
show off point. For the sort of run-of-the-mill computing that most
people do, I don't think that a second processor is really necessary.

--Chad

Henrik Carlqvist wrote:
> Alan Clifford <sardines@purse-seine.net> wrote:
> > I didn't buy this computer for two cores but now I've got them, will
> > anything actually use them? Is this done by the kernel or does software
> > have to do it?
>
> The kernel will allocate the two cores to different processes when there
> is more than one process which need CPU at the same time. If you are
> running only one application and want that single application to take full
> advantage of your entire CPU you should make sure that the single
> application is using more than one thread.
>
> However, even with single threaded applications (most applications are
> single threaded) your second CPU core is useful. By using the command
> "top" you can see which applications are in running state, "R". Those
> applications need CPU. There is also a column in top which tells which CPU
> a process is using.
>
> regards Henrik
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