Reliable Web Hosts & Operating system choices

After choosing a hosting plan to purchase, one of the most important decisions you will make is when choosing the OS for your server. Although there are many operating systems to choose from the two main operating systems are the Windows platform, and the UNIX platform, of which LINUX is a variation of. Both operating systems have their strengths and flaws, and depending on the type of website and server you want you will have to choose carefully.

The Windows platform is given a bad rep because of the infamous “blue screen of death,” during the era of Windows 95 and 98. Furthermore, Windows operating systems offer MS SQL, FrontPage, and Access, meanwhile granting access to powerful tools such as ASP, Visual Basic Scripts, and Cold Fusion. In addition, Windows offers unparalleled levels of support, security, and integration with other Microsoft products. However, using Windows is a server OS is often laborious and requires extensive knowledge of maintenance and support. But if one has a webmaster that is sufficiently knowledgeable in the Windows server OS field, the Windows platform is an excellent choice.

If Windows isn’t a pleasing option then get ready to download UNIX. UNIX is an open-source operating system, meaning it was built by us and meant for us; free. UNIX is widely preferred as a server OS due to its amazing stability and performance under strain. Furthermore, webmasters can customize and alter their services from any computer in the world. Therefore, controlling and changing the server is quite easy to do on the UNIX platform. The downside, of course, is that unlike Microsoft who continually updates security, support, and compatibility, UNIX is open-source and therefore, has less variety and compatibility.
Therefore, for the average user, UNIX will do more than a good job of taking care of your website. The Windows platform is recommended to the specific users who need advanced web features and know how to maintain the operating system. And luckily for you many simple and necessary programs and tools are compatible on both platforms! So remember, be an educated consumer and research, ask, and test before you buy!