The terms UNIX hosting and Windows hosting refer to the operating
system (OS) that is running on the server. The operating system, of course,
is the software that allows the computer to function and manage all of the
other hardware and software that is installed on it. Chances are good that
you are reading this on a computer running a version of the Windows
operating system, the most popular operating system in the world for
personal and business computers. Other operating systems that are
growing in popularity are Macintosh and various versions of Linux.
However, the operating system you use on your computer is irrelevant to
which type of hosting you choose. Here are some of the main features of
UNIX and Windows:
UNIX Hosting
Most of the web servers in the world today run on one of the many
variants of UNIX. The UNIX operating system was originally developed
by universities for servers and networking, and many different versions
have been written by programmers around the world under the open-
source protocol, which means that the code for the operating system is
openly available for programmers to customize and make improvements.
Linux and BSD are the most popular forms of UNIX and come in many
varieties, such as Red Hat Linux, Debian, SuSE, and FreeBSD. Most of
these different versions (and much of the software that runs on them) can
be obtained for free, which makes UNIX hosting cheaper for a web host
than other operating systems and allows them to offer lower prices. UNIX
hosting platforms are generally considered to be stable, secure, powerful
and fast. Most web programming applications can be performed by
software that is available for a UNIX platform. "UNIX hosting" has
become a generic term to refer to any platform that is derived from the
original UNIX.
Windows Hosting
Microsoft has developed its own operating system for servers as a special
version of its Windows operating system, Windows Server 2003. It is a
commercial product which requires the operator to purchase a license,
which increases the cost of operation for the web host and usually results
in higher hosting prices. Windows is designed to be user friendly, but it is
generally considered to be less powerful and secure than UNIX for
operating in a network environment. ASP, ASP.NET, and ColdFusion are
scripting languages which will only run on a Windows server, as will the
Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access database programs. These are
popular for certain web programming applications, and if you are planning
on using them to build your website, you will need to find a Windows host.
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