Unless you're a product designer, digital video editor, or NASA scientist, the answer to both questions is no. Processor speeds have outstripped what most users do on their PCs. You can achieve more speed by upgrading other parts of a system. For example, if Web browsing is too slow, upgrade to broadband when it hits your area. Get a faster graphics card.
Software evolves far more slowly than does processor speed.
Developers write code to run on the greatest number of PCs to sell more software. Writing an application with the assumption that all users will have a 1-GHz or faster processor is a recipe for Chapter 11. By the time an application arrives that brings your PC to its knees, it'll be three years from now and time for a new one anyway. If you don't need the fastest processor for a specific task right now, it's a waste of money to buy a machine with one. Text Newsletters ZDNet Updates Update your software and make your PC run better.