I would assume Maya is multithreaded without taking a look at the code i couldn't tell ya and some how i really don't think Alias|Wavefront are going to give me a copy of the source.
Might help if you post your system specs maybe some benchmarks one mans slow is a another mans ultra speedy.
David 
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"