Parallel processing

[BenVitale]

As we all know, computer systems today use a linear instruction by instruction system using advanced microprocessors that runs at high clock frecuencies, wich such high speed to they eye seems to be a multitasked system, however what about not linear computer systems, where they are?
Parallel processing is difficult to code for. However, it is used on a few high-end applications.

Is anybody familiar with this? Is the parallel processing revolution just around the corner?

[ArthurKay]

Many computers today ship with dual processors... which basically allows for "parallel" processing.

When I took Computer Science in college, my understanding of current hardware (and binary "theory") is that computers can only look at information line-by-line. Even with multiple processors, each processor is looking line-by-line, so does that really count as parallel?

Even looking at the most efficient search/sort algorithms, the data has to be (at the very least) indexed, if not read completely upon each search. Having parallel searches for data might complicate the process (would the independant processes fight for permission or data access?), which could actually make the algorithm less efficient. In these cases, it seems to me that linear recursion might be the better option, particularly if the processors allow for fast computing.

I'm getting more and more excited about the potential for quantum computing, though I'm sure that's 10-20 years away (before those computers actually reach the public... private and government researches will probably have it sooner).