diff --git a/multiprocess/parallelizer.py b/multiprocess/parallelizer.py
index 6447efae..96a766c1 100644
--- a/multiprocess/parallelizer.py
+++ b/multiprocess/parallelizer.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import os, sys, time, multiprocessing
+import os, sys, time, multiprocessing, re
 from processes import ForkedProcess
 from remoteproxy import ExitError
 
@@ -37,12 +37,13 @@ class Parallelize:
     since it is automatically sent via pipe back to the parent process.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, tasks, workers=None, block=True, progressDialog=None, randomReseed=True, **kwds):
+    def __init__(self, tasks=None, workers=None, block=True, progressDialog=None, randomReseed=True, **kwds):
         """
         ===============  ===================================================================
         Arguments:
         tasks            list of objects to be processed (Parallelize will determine how to 
-                         distribute the tasks)
+                         distribute the tasks). If unspecified, then each worker will receive
+                         a single task with a unique id number.
         workers          number of worker processes or None to use number of CPUs in the 
                          system
         progressDialog   optional dict of arguments for ProgressDialog
@@ -70,6 +71,8 @@ class Parallelize:
         if not hasattr(os, 'fork'):
             workers = 1
         self.workers = workers
+        if tasks is None:
+            tasks = range(workers)
         self.tasks = list(tasks)
         self.reseed = randomReseed
         self.kwds = kwds.copy()
@@ -103,7 +106,7 @@ class Parallelize:
             self.progressDlg.__enter__()
             self.progressDlg.setMaximum(len(self.tasks))
         self.progress = {os.getpid(): []}
-        return Tasker(None, self.tasks, self.kwds)
+        return Tasker(self, None, self.tasks, self.kwds)
 
     
     def runParallel(self):
@@ -121,7 +124,7 @@ class Parallelize:
             proc = ForkedProcess(target=None, preProxy=self.kwds, randomReseed=self.reseed)
             if not proc.isParent:
                 self.proc = proc
-                return Tasker(proc, chunks[i], proc.forkedProxies)
+                return Tasker(self, proc, chunks[i], proc.forkedProxies)
             else:
                 self.childs.append(proc)
         
@@ -197,7 +200,26 @@ class Parallelize:
     
     @staticmethod
     def suggestedWorkerCount():
-        return multiprocessing.cpu_count()  ## is this really the best option?
+        if 'linux' in sys.platform:
+            ## I think we can do a little better here..
+            ## cpu_count does not consider that there is little extra benefit to using hyperthreaded cores.
+            try:
+                cores = {}
+                pid = None
+                
+                for line in open('/proc/cpuinfo'):
+                    m = re.match(r'physical id\s+:\s+(\d+)', line)
+                    if m is not None:
+                        pid = m.groups()[0]
+                    m = re.match(r'cpu cores\s+:\s+(\d+)', line)
+                    if m is not None:
+                        cores[pid] = int(m.groups()[0])
+                return sum(cores.values())
+            except:
+                return multiprocessing.cpu_count()
+                
+        else:
+            return multiprocessing.cpu_count()
         
     def _taskStarted(self, pid, i, **kwds):
         ## called remotely by tasker to indicate it has started working on task i
@@ -212,8 +234,9 @@ class Parallelize:
     
     
 class Tasker:
-    def __init__(self, proc, tasks, kwds):
-        self.proc = proc
+    def __init__(self, parallelizer, process, tasks, kwds):
+        self.proc = process
+        self.par = parallelizer
         self.tasks = tasks
         for k, v in kwds.iteritems():
             setattr(self, k, v)
@@ -229,7 +252,20 @@ class Tasker:
             #print os.getpid(), 'no more tasks'
             self.proc.close()
     
+    def process(self):
+        """
+        Process requests from parent.
+        Usually it is not necessary to call this unless you would like to 
+        receive messages (such as exit requests) during an iteration.
+        """
+        if self.proc is not None:
+            self.proc.processRequests()
     
+    def numWorkers(self):
+        """
+        Return the number of parallel workers
+        """
+        return self.par.workers
     
 #class Parallelizer:
     #"""