Burned Once, Intel Prepares New Chip Fortified by Constant Tests

Intel is launching a new desktop microprocessor today containing 731 million transistors spread among four cores. The Core i7 is the most powerful chip Intel has ever produced and it's also the most power efficient, when running a program with two threads only two cores will perform the task as integrated power switches turn cores on or off.  Zero power for inactive cores corresponds to billions of dollars in energy savings after all the Pentium 4 chips are replaced around the world.  

You recover from a recession with tomorrow's products, not today's - Sean Maloney VP Intel

I agree with Sean, innovation is the only way we're going to get our economy rolling again. Sure, people will not be rushing-out to upgrade their PC's today, but over the next two years all those P4's will be replaced.                    Intel Launches Fastest Processor on the Planet