What is difference between desktop and workstation?

normc · 2006-01-21 23:26:19

Can somebody explain the difference.

ozar · 2006-01-21 23:30:39

Not sure, but I've always thought of a desktop machine as being a single machine setup, but a workstation as being a machine connected to a main server and other machines.

scottro · 2006-01-21 23:56:40

I don't think there's an official explation anywhere, (though I suppose some of the more newcomer friendly distributions have a desktop package and workstation package.)

I would call a workstation something with office productivity suites, something like OpenOffice or the like, something to read pdfs. A desktop would also have all this, but in addition, more multimedia capability.

That's speaking VERY generally, and is only an opinion.

A server would theoretically not have an office suite, and often not even have X. It might have a text based browser to use various web based tools.

However, I'm sure you could easily find many execellent sysadmins who do have X on a server for one reason or another. (And many gurus who have a "workstation" with multimedia capability.)

I would call more of a vague concept than any hard and fast rules. Hrrm, and then what about the workstation of someone who designs multimedia content for their living?

Hope this helps, but it probably further obfuscated the issue.

jakob · 2006-01-22 01:24:04

IIRC, Ubuntu did not even have a c compiler in it's standard setup and that's what i would call a Desktop system...

though... of course... my box is also more desktop and im still compiling stuff... *g*

elasticdog · 2006-01-22 03:22:15

I would say that "desktop" would refer to home machines, where "workstations" refer to business machines. IMHO, they don't even have to be different...it's just the context they're used in.

hellwoofa has a good point in that a desktop might not be a system build for development work, where a workstation would be. On the other hand, a typical desktop could be used for all the same development functions if the user wanted too.

In the graphics business, I know there used to be a large difference (and maybe there still is?) between the two where the workstations had much more industrial hardware...high-performance (not gaming) graphics cards, more memory, etc. Aside from that, I'd say it's fairly subjective.

Lone_Wolf · 2006-01-22 09:43:36

elasticdog wrote:

In the graphics business, I know there used to be a large difference (and maybe there still is?) between the two where the workstations had much more industrial hardware...high-performance (not gaming) graphics cards, more memory, etc. Aside from that, I'd say it's fairly subjective.

There still is.

The company i work for has approx 900 desktops (300 office pc's + 600 development pc's) and 20 workstations.
The workstations typically have dual cpu boards, scsi-drives and OpenGL videocards , like Nvidia Quattro.
They are mainly used for 3D-modelling design purposes.

Arch Linux

#1 2006-01-21 23:26:19

What is difference between desktop and workstation?

#2 2006-01-21 23:30:39

Re: What is difference between desktop and workstation?

#3 2006-01-21 23:56:40

Re: What is difference between desktop and workstation?

#4 2006-01-22 01:24:04

Re: What is difference between desktop and workstation?

#5 2006-01-22 03:22:15

Re: What is difference between desktop and workstation?

#6 2006-01-22 09:43:36

Re: What is difference between desktop and workstation?

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