A workstation is an individual computer specifically designed for scientific or technical applications. Designed to be utilized by one individual at a time, they’re most commonly attached to a local network and operate multi-user operating systems in tandem with the computer. While there are many different workstations that can be purchased today, the majority of workstations fall under three main categories. These categories include desktop workstations, laptop workstations, and public workspaces.
A desktop workstation is simply a computer desk with a built-in keyboard and monitor. They’re ideal for individuals who frequently utilize computers at their workplace. With a desktop computer, everything is in a laid-back position for convenience. In addition to the keyboard and monitor, a workstation also typically includes a mouse, printer, and tower with ports for additional devices. A typical desktop workstation often has a separate space for storage and/or a corner cabinet for the CPU. Typically, all additional devices must be purchased and installed into a separate unit.
Laptops are designed to be carried around discretely and are much less costly than desktop computers. They function similarly to laptops to some degree, being able to function like a portable personal computer that can be accessed with the use of a USB cord or wireless device. They are ideal for individuals who frequently take public transportation to and from work. Many companies offer free laptops upon signing up for an employee discount program. Public workspaces are ideal for this type of workstation since most businesses prefer to keep the operating systems and software on hand rather than having to purchase new devices for every work station.
Computer workstations that fall under this category are known as “work stations” and include a variety of different components. The most common type of workstation is the traditional computer desk, sometimes referred to as a “notebook stand”. These types of workstations usually include two or more computers at different work angles. Typically, these workstations are equipped with a printer, scanner, copier, keyboard and a monitor. Larger workstations typically include additional storage space, additional monitors, an optional mouse, speakers and even additional advanced graphics cards such as nVidia or ATI.
A multi-purpose PC is also sometimes referred to as a “server workstation”. In essence, this workstation can be thought of as a stand-alone personal computer that is specifically designated to perform a number of functions. In most cases, these PCs are connected to a network or to one another via a network of cables or wires. An example of this type of workstation would be a web hosting workstation or a printer server workstation.
In general, a pc is defined as any central processing unit that combines hardware, software, memory, and processing power in order to deliver superior performance. Within the pc, there are different components such as the brain or the engine, the processor, the hard drive or the random access memory (RAM), the motherboard, and the optical drives. The computer architecture describes the way how hardware and software interact with each other. Within the PC, the hardware is divided into logically distinct sections known as modules which are composed of microprocessors. Each microprocessor module contains instructions which are used to process data that is received from an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, monitor, drive devices, USB drives, or other peripheral devices.
