The lines between a high-powered desktop and true workstations become more blurred

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As desktop PCs become faster and stronger, the lines between a high-powered desktop and true workstations become more blurred and more difficult for business owners to sort out. The fact is, desktop PCs and workstations are designed with different applications and users in mind, so you'll get the most out of your computing budget when you take the time to match the right kind of system to your user's needs.

Workstations support industrial-strength computing

Workstations are high-performance computers that run numeric-and graphic-intensive applications ranging from statistical analysis to computer-aided design and scientific visualisation. Key workstation characteristics include:

• Microsoft® Windows® XP Home SP2
• High-speed processors
• Tremendous disk speed
• Significant quantities of synchronous dynamic RAM
• Support for high-end graphics cards
• A healthy number of slots (4 or more) to support network connectivity cards, advanced video cards, and more
• Several ports (USB, serial, and parallel) to connect scanners, monitors, and other peripherals to the workstation

Desktops support a variety of users and applications

Workstations are all about number-crunching and power, and are designed to meet very specific computing needs. Desktops are all about flexibility -- they're designed to meet a much wider variety of computing needs. The same desktop PC that a computer programmer uses will work well for a graphic designer. The computer your accountant uses could easily be re-purposed for your VP of marketing. While you can certainly buy very powerful desktop PCs, you can also buy more economical models to meet staff needs and fit within your budget.

The story is in the details

The HPxw8000 workstation supports up to two 3GHz Intel Pentium 4 processors, running on Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition, supports up to 8GB of RAM, and has either 10,000 rpm or 15,000 rpm disk speed, 5 PCI slots, 6 USB ports, 1 serial port, and 1 parallel port. Additionally, it comes with a special graphics port specifically designed to support high-end graphics work, something you won't find on most high-end desktop PCs.
By comparison, the HP Compaq D510 comes with a 2.4GHz or 2.8GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, running on Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition, support for up to 4GB of RAM, and either 5400 rpm or 7200 rpm hard disk speed, 3 PCI slots, 4 USB ports, 2 serial ports, and 1 parallel port.

So how do you know which one you need?

The best possible guides for determining whether you need a workstation or a desktop are the system requirements for the applications you want to run and the people who plan to use them. If you are currently outsourcing work in any of the following areas, chances are you will need to purchase at least one workstation if you want to move the operations in-house:

• Computer-aided engineering 
• Digital content creation 
• Electronic design automation 
• Life sciences 
• Mechanical computer-aided design 
• Scientific research

In reality, a workstation is closer to a server in power and configuration, and has similar specific uses. You don't need a server on everyone's desktop in your company, and the same goes for workstations. Certainly, you should buy them when you need them, and be sure to select the right one for your specific needs. An HP reseller can help you with that decision.

For more information

• If you are considering a RISC workstation, learn more about HP's RISC architecture based workstations.
• Review the Selecting Workstations IT Guide **for more information on shopping for a workstation.
• Visit the HP Learning Centre to take a free online class on firewall basics, storage area networks, and other computing topics.