Intel is making mulit-core processors.
The majority of people are under-utilizing the extra cores, thus not seeing a reason to purchase new processors with more of them.
Intel wants to make money but their current roadmap is about creating processors with more cores.
Intel funds research to get programs to use more cores.

Microsoft wants to sell OEM licenses.
Microsoft relies on Intel to come up with new hardware worthy of upgrading so that they can do so.
Microsoft helps to fund research to get programs to use more cores.

This reminds me of that saying:”A solution looking for a problem”.

Scroll down to “Threads - Threat or Menace” to read about some real world talk about threads:
http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch07s03.html

I read some funny jokes about threads recently from slashdot:
Q1) Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
A1) to To other side. get the

Q2) Why did the multithreaded chicken cross the road?
A4) other to side. To the get

and

Q: How many multithreaded person(s) does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 5, 1 at each of the 4 ladders and 1 to pass the light bulb to the lucky one.

Q: How many multithreaded person(s) does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 4, each trying to screw the lightbulb.

Q: How many multithreaded person(s) does it take to change a light bulb?
A: I don’t know what happened to them.