Intel Core i5-430M Processor

I am planning to buy a laptop with the Intel® Core™ i5-430M Processor.

It says the CPU has 2 cores and 4 threads. Does having 4 threads means it is the same as a quad core CPU, or is it slower or faster than a quad core? Thanks.

There essentially virtual cores. Its called hyperthreading and its really only good for multitasking and Multimedia editing