Welcome to the third part of the series of AutoCAD WS for Facilities Management (FM).

Topics: Workstations, Autodesk, Hardware, Facilities Management, AutoCAD, Mobile Workstations, Connectivity, Laptops, CAD

RAID is an option you'll likely want to consider for a new workstation, depending on the model you choose. The acronym stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, and refers to the redundancy that provides reliability and data security. By far, the most common options offered in workstations are RAID modes 0 and 1.

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, SSD Drive, RAID, CAD

A disconnect has been emerging between the perception and reality of mobile workstation sales and usage. Since its emergence almost a decade ago, I've viewed the mobile workstation as a slam-dunk when it came to replacing conventional corporate/consumer notebooks, as they are far more appropriate devices for hard-core graphics professionals. But especially recently, the buzz about mobile machines becoming more than road-warrior tools — but instead deskside replacements —has gotten louder.

Topics: Dell Business Workstation, Workstations, Hardware, Mobile Workstations, Laptops, CAD

Autodesk and Lenovo have recently teamed up to help create Technology Makeover, a program that supplies hardware and software to a deserving small business. For the first ever award of this program, Autodesk reseller Ideate was asked to recommend a customer. That customer turned out to be Alan Mascord Designs.

Topics: Workstations, Autodesk, Hardware, Technology Makeover, Windows, CAD

Welcome to the second part of the series of AutoCAD WS for Facilities Management (or FM as we call it).

Topics: Workstations, Autodesk, Hardware, Facilities Management, AutoCAD, Mobile Workstations, Connectivity, Laptops, CAD

This series explains connectivity options for CAD hardware. The first post covered network connections and USB. Now we'll discuss PCI, FireWire and eSATA.

Topics: Workstations, Accessories, Hardware, WiFi, Printers, Connectivity, CAD

Connectivity is a generic term that describes how a computer connects to other devices to transfer data back and forth. The term covers everything from networks to wireless to printer cables. Based on the nature of CAD work, some sort of connectivity options are going to be required. This series will cover the major areas of connectivity to help you decide the right ones for your situation.

Networking: Ethernet and Wireless

Topics: Workstations, Accessories, Hardware, WiFi, Printers, Connectivity, CAD

I was one of those CAD geeks who did the loop around my small office when AutoCAD WS was released. It is a sophisticated mobility tool that Autodesk was savvy enough to release for free. Now available on the App Store for Apple devices and native Macs as well as the Android Market for Android devices, it gives a massive scope to CAD users and facilities managers alike.

Topics: Workstations, Autodesk, Hardware, Facilities Management, AutoCAD, Mobile Workstations, Connectivity, Laptops, CAD

This series is comparing hard disk drives (HDD) versus solid state drives (SSD) for CAD workstation storage. Read part 1 here.

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, SSD Drive, CAD

When it comes to thinking about what should go in our workstations, we — both hardware suppliers and users— too often dwell on the glitzier technology inside, the "speeds and feeds." How many CPU cores or GPU shaders there are, what frequencies they're clocked at, and how many polygons/second or texels/second the GPU can churn through.

Topics: Workstations, Hardware, Hard Drive, SSD Drive, CAD