Workstations are computers for professional use by a single user, with more capabilities than personal computers but less than mainframes. They can be used for power-intensive tasks and are often replaced with higher-spec models. Workstations are used by scientists, architects, and programmers, and can now be smaller, including high-powered laptops. The term can also refer to any computer connected to a network used for work.
A workstation is a computer designed for professional use by a single user. It usually has more capabilities than a personal computer, but is not as powerful as a mainframe computer designed to support very complex computations and multiple users. Workstations provide people with computing power for a variety of tasks that can be power-intensive, such as creating three-dimensional digital models. Many computer manufacturers build workstations and can build custom systems to order for unique applications.
The specifics of a work shift as processing standards vary. What was once considered a high-end, high-powered workstation may today be less powerful than a calculator used by a high school student. As specifications and technology change, workstations become faster, capable of processing more data, and able to perform more complex tasks. Like other computers, workstations tend to be replaced after several years of use with higher-spec, better-capacity models.
Workstations are used by people who need more power than would be available with a personal computer, but less than with a mainframe. An example would be a scientist who needs to be able to perform complex data processing routines while interpreting the results of a study. Workstations can also perform tasks such as modeling for architects and compiling code for programmers. While some personal computers may be capable of handling these tasks, not all are.
Improved technology has allowed workstations to become smaller. A high-powered laptop can be considered a workstation, and desktop workstations can have relatively small tower units. Desktops usually have large screens, and sometimes multiple screens, to support tasks that require a lot of screen space. Screen resolution is also typically high quality for clarity and sharpness. Especially for people like animators, using a powerful enough workstation with a high resolution screen is very important because it allows them to clearly see what they are doing.
This term is also sometimes used in networking, to describe any computer connected to a network. In this case, a workstation is a computer that someone on the network is using for work, but it may not necessarily be a workstation in the computing sense. For example, an office might have a network capable of supporting 30 workstations, including laptops that people bring in and out of the office for low-level work, along with true workstations for heavy computing.
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