It's that time again to upgrade and get a new computer. It used to be easy to look at the GHz numbers and make a selection. Now we have Core 2 vs. Core 2 Duo.
Back in the day buying a processor was as simple as looking at the megahertz or gigahertz and purchasing based on the bigger number. I know there's more to it than that like onboard cache and what-not, but in comparison to what we've got to work with today, life seemed simpler back then.
Core 2 is the successor to Intel's Pentium D line of processors, which was basically two Pentium 4 "Prescott" processors duct-taped together and called Dual Core. Core 2 is this, only with a more refined construction, making it more efficient in terms of both power and consumption of power. This design is perfect for laptops.
Core 2 Duo, on the same hand, is the successor to the Core 2 architecture, but is designed for desktops and laptops. Once again, more powerful and more energy efficient than previous models.
It's just a matter of variants at this point, with the familiar "gigahertz" numbers buried deep within the processor's specifications sheet. You'll see something like Core i7 950, which just so happens to have multiple processors running at 3.06ghz. The next model up, the 965 Extreme, clock in at 3.20ghz per processor.
There is also good information out there on Wikipedias you can access to learn more about the process.
I have come to the conclusion that I will probably wait until October when Windows 7 comes out, look for the better battery life or even look at paying bigger dollars for a MAC --
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