A client machine is a computer connected to a network that accesses a server to request resources, save data, or run programs. It can be a laptop, PC, or Mac, and can use different types of networks. Client machines can be fat, thin, or hybrid, and may require a download client to interact with the server.
The term client machine refers to a user’s computer that is connected to a network and accesses another computer, called a server, to request various types of resources, save data, or run certain programs or perform certain functions. Sometimes the term “client” is used interchangeably with client machine, but client is a less specific term that can also refer to a computer application rather than an actual computer. The machine is sometimes called a requesting machine, because it requests files or other data from a server, sometimes called a serving machine. A client computer usually has a user interface provided by the client operating system, such as Unix, Windows or Linux. Different types of networks can be used to connect a client to a server, such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).
A client machine can be a laptop, office workstation, IBM compatible personal computer (PC), Mac, or other individual computer that relies on interaction with a server to perform its functions. Sometimes it is necessary to download a client for the machine to interact with the server. This means that a program must be downloaded from the server and installed on the machine. For example, people who play computer games online usually need a download client to allow them to play using data provided by the game company’s servers.
A common example of a client machine is in an office environment where an individual employee may use their workstation, either in the office or remotely from other locations, to access disk storage space, data or other resources from corporate computers which act as servers. Today, client computers can usually run their own programs without accessing the server. However, in the early days of computers, some client machines were so-called dumb terminals, unable to run any programs without input from a server.
Examples of different types of client machines are fat clients, thin clients, and hybrid clients. A fat client refers to a machine that is capable of doing most of its own computing and does not require constant contact with the server to perform its functions. Thin clients rely more on servers. A hybrid client computer, sometimes called a network computer, usually does much of its own processing, but often uses a server to store data. Some hybrid client computers are so-called diskless nodes that do not have permanent hard drives and instead use centralized storage on the server.
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