A workstation, or desktop, is one common category of computers.
Computers are essentially machines that can make complex and rapid calculations. They respond to instructions, better known as programs. To be a computer, a machine must have a CPU (central processing unit) and memory storage. Computers vary in size and functionality, but most of them fall within one of five categories.
Desktop Computers
Workstations, or desktop computers as they're more commonly called, are relatively large and powerful personal computers. They usually consist of several main parts, including a monitor, a tower, a keyboard and a mouse. Other components, such as speakers, printers or external hard drives, can be attached to the tower, therefore linking it to the rest of the computer. These computers also have relatively high quality monitors and larger amounts of RAM than smaller personal computers.
Laptop Computers
Laptop computers are also sometimes called notebook computers because of their size and the fact that they can be folded. They're essentially portable desktop computers, with a keyboard, monitor, hard drive and mouse--all built into a single machine. The monitors aren't generally of the same caliber as desktop computers and they may have less memory, but their portability makes them a viable option for many people.
Handhelds
Handhelds are smaller versions of laptops, but don't have as much functionality. A handheld device, such as a PDA or smart phone, can travel just about anywhere, but they're not as capable as other personal computers. They're excellent for checking email, scheduling appointments or playing games, but they're typically unable to print documents, download certain things and their user interface (how you see the icons and websites) appears different from a fully functional personal computer.
Tablets
Tablets are the newest version of personal computers (as of 2011). They're a combination of handheld computers and laptops. While their screens are larger than handhelds, they're not as large as desktops or laptops. Some tablets can print documents wirelessly, and some have a foldable keyboard, although their main feature is a large touchscreen monitor.
Super Computers
Super computers are incredibly fast computers, capable of processing millions of instructions per second. They're also typically very large, sometimes even filling entire rooms. They're not used in the home, but rather for complex and grand-scale projects like forecasting weather, launching space shuttles or completing quantum physics equations. Supercomputers typically consist of hundreds or thousands of processors that are linked through the LAN (local area network) connection. Having them all combined allows the supercomputer to become one massive calculating machine.
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