Workstations
Workstations have been around for many years. They are specifically designed to perform technical operations by a single user, although it is possible to access it via a remote host if necessary. It is noted that the workstation offers a greater volume of working capacity than a personal computer (PC) would have, as it has higher graphics, a faster processing power, and is much more used to multitasking than a PC would be. This is due to the optimisation of the programs to enable the user to create data on a more complex level.
With the need for more computer tools, and accessories for communications, workstations have evolved to continue to provide the highest quality of programs for its users. The first workstation was brought onto the market in 1959 by the computer company IBM. By today's standards, it would be classed as a PC, although it was a defining moment in factory data processing that could be done on a computer. The level of analysis that was used far outweighed any other console that was on the market, and it used a decimal system that was extensive in the architecture of the machine.
These types of workstations consisted of what is typically known as a minicomputer, as it was becoming necessary in the 1980's and 1990's for a single user to work separately to the business mainframe. For a single user to access a mainframe unit from another access point was extremely expensive, and very impractical. Thus, the workstation was born. Although it could only produce smaller computer tasks at a given time, the 32-bit and 64-bit chips that were used to create the computer gave the performance that was needed to perform these multi-tasking operations that smaller businesses needed. This was useful as it allowed the offices to network their computers in order to increase the productivity in cases where visualisation and analysis was more important. It also allowed the larger mainframe units to complete the larger tasks quicker, as the other tasks were allocated elsewhere.
The evolution of the PC took a different path, as the workstation was designed primarily for office and business use, and the PC was bringing the hobby into the family home. The personal computer was much cheaper than its higher quality competitor, and therefore had a lower standard of technology. Although, this didn't defer from the overwhelming increase in PC usage by families who wished to become more knowledgeable in the new field.
Starting with an 8-bit single chip in the microprocessor of the computer, this enabled single tasks to be completed using a DOS (Disk Operating System) prompt for each program. Recent updates to the PCs have included 32-bit and 64-bit chips in the processing unit, which offered a greater performance for the computer. During the 1990's, and the upsurge in computer gaming, personal computers needed to be upgraded to cope with the high demand for powerful computers. Increased Random Access Memory (RAM) was needed to run the new programs, and competition from many countries saw the evolution from Standard RAM, to Dynamic RAM. Since the profit margins were ever increasing during this time, a semiconductor known as the dual-core (which is essentially multi-processing chips that run off a single unit) was developed. This meant that high-powered gaming, and other office tasks could be completed successfully in the home, rather than in an office setting on an office workstations.