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The terms UNIX hosting and Windows hosting refer to the operating system (OS) that is running on the server.
So what is an operating system?
An operating system is the software that allows the computer to function and manage all of the other hardware and software that is installed on it. The most popular OS in global use is the Windows operating system, which is used for both personal and business computers. Therefore it is highly likely that you are reading this on a computer running on a Windows version. The other OS that have been gaining popularity over the past few years are Macintosh and various versions of Linux.
It must be noted that the OS you use on your system is irrelevant to which type of hosting you choose, meaning you could have a computer running on a Windows version and still opt for a either a Windows or Linux hosting.
Listed below are the prime features of the UNIX and Windows hosting:
UNIX Hosting
The UNIX operating system was originally developed by universities to aid servers and networking. Today most of the web servers in the world run on one of the many variants of UNIX and UNIX hosting" has therefore become a generic term to refer to any platform that is derived from the original UNIX.
Key features of UNIX hosting
- Since its first introduction, many different versions of UNIX have been written by programmers around the world under the open-source protocol. This means that the code for the operating system is openly available for programmers to customize and make improvements.
- The most popular forms of UNIX are the Linux and BSD, which again come in many varieties, such as Red Hat Linux, Debian, SuSE, and FreeBSD. Most of these different versions as well as the software that runs on them can be obtained for free, which makes UNIX hosting cheaper for a web host than other operating systems, allowing 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.
Windows Hosting
Microsoft has developed its own operating system for servers as a special version of its Windows operating system, Windows Server 2003.
Key features of Windows hosting
- Unlike UNIX, it is a commercial product, which requires the operator to purchase a license. This increases the cost of operation for the web host and therefore in higher hosting prices.
- Windows is designed to be user friendly in all its applications.
Windows is generally considered to be less powerful and secure than UNIX for operating in a network environment.
- Scripting languages such as ASP, ASP.NET, and ColdFusion and database programs such as Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Access form popular web programming applications that run only on a Windows server. Hence any website that plans to be built using these applications require a Windows host.
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