Just as people are getting used to dual-core processors, computers with four cores or quad-cores are coming on the market. Some servers and workstations already have chips with eight cores.

Just a few years ago, several computers had to be linked together to get serious computing power. Then, multiple printed circuits, each with their own processor were housed in one computer. Now multi-core processors, chips with multiple central processing units that have their own independent processor, are here.

The first dual core chips hit the consumer market at Easter 2005 and companies like IBM have sold quad-core processors since the end of that year. Intel launched them on the market in early 2007. But as long as prices remain higher than 2,000 euros (around $2,700), consumer interest will remain limited. It might take systems like AMD's planned new generation of two and four core chips processors to turn some gamers onto quad-core.

The major reasons for developing multiple core processors were advanced integration techniques and energy savings. Another reason was the rotational speed of the old processors. As they got faster, they gave off more heat... sometimes-reaching uncomfortable levels.

People who work intensely with their computers will quickly see the advantages of an additional core.

The multiple cores reduce the risk of a complete system crash. But multiple cores do not solve every problem. If a processor's capacity - particularly its second cache where temporary data is stored - is not up to standard, the multiple cores will not help much. The cache should be as large as possible for data intensive operations.

It's also important to remember that two cores do not necessarily double computer power. Nor do four cores quadruple power. Operating systems like Windows, Mac OS or Linux can divide duties between the different cores. But the time saved by this simultaneous work also depends on whether the program being used is designed to use multiple cores.

To get more speed, chip circuits are shrinking down to nanometer sizes. The number of transistors in a processor will continue to double every two years and researchers will continue to encode more sophisticated commands into the silicon. There are already processors with eight cores on the market with no end in sight for processor capacity.