Windows Hosting



Windows Hosting

Windows Web Hosting: Windows Web Hosting gives a business the capability of designing web sites utilizing the ever-popular Windows Operating System. This allows enlargement utilizing technologies such as Active Server Pages (ASP), COM, and the newer .NET infrastructure. Our Windows Web Hosting Showcase features Windows Web Hosting companies that provide top-notch Windows Web Hosting at a reasonable price.

UNIX vs. Windows Hosting

In the world of web site hosting there are two main types of operating system platforms on which you may host your web site, namely: UNIX and Windows. Each has its own set of unique features, advantages and disadvantages.

While it is hard to say which one is the superior choice, it is not as hard to answer which is the superior option given your needs. The language which your site is programmed in is what chiefly dictates the type of hosting you need.

Note: The operating system that you use on your desktop computer (the vast majority of people use a few flavor of Windows) has absolutely nothing to do with the one that your host needs to supply your web site. Mainly private sites are formed with MS FrontPage and even while that is a Microsoft product, it can be hosted perfectly on a UNIX web server with FrontPage Extensions installed.

  • Stability - UNIX systems (we actually use Linux but for comparison purposes they are identical) are hands-down the winner in this category. There are numerous factors here but to name just a couple big ones: in our experience UNIX handles high server loads superior than Windows and UNIX machines seldom require reboots while Windows is constantly requiring them. Servers running on UNIX enjoy extremely high up-time and high availability/reliability.
  • Performance - While there is a few debate about which operating system performs better, in our experience both perform comparably in low-stress conditions however UNIX servers under high load (which is what is important) are superior to Windows.
  • Scalability - Web sites habitually change over time. They start off little and grow as the needs of the person or company running them grow. While both platforms can often adapt to your growing needs, Windows hosting is more simply made compatible with UNIX-based programming features like PHP and MySQL. UNIX-based web software is not always 100% compatible with Microsoft technologies like .NET and VB development. Therefore if you wish to use these, you must choose Windows web hosting.
  • Compatibility - Web sites designed and programmed to be served under a UNIX-based web server can simply be hosted on a Windows server, whereas the reverse is not always true. This makes programming for UNIX the superior choice.
  • Price - Servers hosting your web site require operating systems and licenses just like everyone else. Windows 2003 and other related applications like SQL Server each price a significant sum of money; on the other hand, Linux is a free operating system to download, install and operate.
  • Conclusion - To sum it up, UNIX-based hosting is more stable, performs faster and more compatible than Windows-based hosting. You only require Windows hosting if you are going to developing in .NET or Visual Basic, or a few other application that limits your choices.