(Written for Yahoo! Tech Job Interview - February 2006) 

When you go shopping for a notebook, you'll soon start seeing logos and advertising for Intel's Core Duo and Solo, the latest processors for notebooks. But what's the difference? The Duo is what they call a dual core processor, which means it acts like there are two processors in the notebook. The Solo is a single core. I know what you're thinking – Duo must be twice as fast, right? Actually, most people will probably never notice the difference.

For Duo to really pick up an advantage you have to do one of two things. Either run lots of different software at the same time or use software that's designed to use both processors. For example, surfing the Web and working on your resume at the same time won't feel any faster. Once it's loaded, the Web doesn't require any more thinking by the processor and working with a word processor requires minimal effort. Where you'll see a difference is when you're watching a video while importing a CD for your iPod and working on your resume at the same time. Multitasking is where you'll notice everything runs smoother and faster.

High-end video editing software like Adobe Premier and photo manipulation tools like Adobe Photoshop will show a speed boost. This software was designed to use both processors. Even then, you'll need to use some advanced features to really notice a difference.

Is it worth going Duo? For folks that use their computer primarily for word processing, surfing the Web or email, I'd say it's not worth the extra money. For graphic designers and video creators, the Duo is definitely an investment worth making.

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