Can multiple single-core apps still benefit from multi-core?

[Undecided]

Obviously, certain apps like Final Cut Pro take advantage of multiple cores, and so quad core hugely benefits those apps. If you don't use those types of apps, but do use many single-core apps at the same time (Mail, Safari, etc.), isn't the OS (scheduler?) smart enough to spread them around across the different cores so that you still benefit from quad cores?

 

[gnasher729]

Obviously, certain apps like Final Cut Pro take advantage of multiple cores, and so quad core hugely benefits those apps. If you don't use those types of apps, but do use many single-core apps at the same time (Mail, Safari, etc.), isn't the OS (scheduler?) smart enough to spread them around across the different cores so that you still benefit from quad cores?

Absolutely. If you have for example a quad core MBP, then one such application will use one core (actually, it will be moved from core to core slowly to distribute heat better), two applications will use two cores, three applications will use three cores, four applications will use all four cores, and above that apps will start sharing the cores.

You can start Activity Monitor, choose "CPU usage" in the Window menu, and you will get a display showing how the cores are used.