Processors

[civint]

I was thinking about this the other day (yes, I do lead a dull life), and I was wondering two things.
1. Will Intel and AMD (as the larger cpu producers) continue to create single core processors?
2. And how long will dual core processors be around for, since quad core are already on the horizon.

Also, while I think about it, having an intel socketed motherboard (the kind that P4, celeron, and the pentium D cpus use, 755 Ithink) what would I have to find out about my motherboard in order to look at upgrading to possibly a P4 (highest possible one, and then overclocking time!) or Pentium D?

[gcc]

as for question 1, specialty single-core processors will be around for a while, but I wouldn't count on the mass market ones lasting too long- the advantages, while difficult to quantify in terms of user experience, are pretty dramatic.
as for the second question, quad and higher core systems are coming, but the face of the future is probably in technologies like Cell, the cpu for the playstation 3, which has a nest of processors, each specializing in a certain task.
In terms of immediate upgrades, your best bet is to get a socket AM2 or 2+ motherboard and going with the AMD chips, since the 8-core Phenom processors are supposed to run on that and the AM3 socket.
As for upgrading your current processor, the biggest thing to look at is your motherboard's specs and each prospective CPU's specs. Generally, if the CPU is the same socket type as your motherboard, you're alright- but not always, so if you're unsure, ask. Intel chips right now are a little more forgiving of overclocking under a standard cooler because of their lower running temperature, but the ability to mess with bios oc options is a license to kill CPUs. Use it wisely, or not at all.
Just my two bits.