Workstations - how are they used?

[Chuck Collins]

I have a simple question: what is it that people use workstations for?

I have occasional access to a Silicon Graphics Iris workstation running
UNIX Sys V. Aside from showing off the F-15 flight simulator to visitors
and displaying my prompt in magenta, I usually use the workstation to call
up a nearby VAX over ethernet and do things on the VAX that I could do from
my Kimtron at home.

How do people apply high-powered work stations in software development? If
I were heavily involved in producing graphics applications on its display,
or if there were some sort of windowing facility a la blit, I could see how
it might be a win. But in general, the technology that the Iris, a Sun, or any
of the other graphics workstations offer seems to be very expensive for what
it adds to the general-purpose UNIX user. Do others have similar or contrary 
views?

Chuck Collins                 cpc at ames-nas       {ihnp4,hplabs}!ames!amelia!cpc