Which one: UNIX or NT Systems?
Hmm, since shared or virtual hosting is usually available in two varieties: UNIX and NT, to make it easy, let me show you the difference between hosting on these operating systems. After that, you can conscientiously decide.
NT servers are designed to accommodate advanced Microsoft applications, therefore integrate back office offerings such as FrontPage, Access and MS SQL with basic Web services. NT servers also proffer specific programming environments such as Active Server Pages (ASP), Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server and Cold Fusion, which mainly link database applications to the Web. NT servers do not provide an interactive shell, but are accessible through GUI-based remote administration packages (for example: PCAnywhere), which allow you to log into the server's desktop as chief administrator as long as you have full control over your server.
NT hosting is only recommended if you intend to run your own dedicated server. The quality of hosting degrades rapidly if the Web host attempts to run an NT server as a shared hosting system. Since NT servers provide unparalleled levels of support, security and integration for the Microsoft family of products, it is urged to select NT if you need to link a Microsoft-based service to your Internet hosting requirements. NT is rather complex and labor-intensive; and should only be selected if the webmaster has extensive experience in maintaining Windows systems remotely and requires product/Web integration.
A lot of hosting solutions are also provided on the UNIX platform that is specifically designed to accommodate heavy Web traffic and server load. UNIX servers are robust and recognized for their ability to host multiple sites and serve out gigabytes of traffic. This platform is also preferred by most webmasters due to their technical requirements. Most webmasters outsource their e-commerce solutions, and therefore do not need to configure complex database systems on their paid Web sites.
UNIX servers also provide a wider degree of flexibility caused by their shell environment. Shell environments are interactive, text-based systems that allow webmasters to interact and customize their services in real-time from any computer system worldwide. Unlike NT systems, UNIX is not limited to special remote administration programs. A typical UNIX system can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet without special or expensive software.
Nevertheless, the most special reason that most webmasters choose the UNIX platform is because of its uptime. Most UNIX systems with heavy traffic can provide 99 per cent uptime. NT servers with heavy traffic usually cannot make the same claim, unless specially configured. For this reason, average webmasters should select UNIX as their OS.
If you do not know which platform you need, then most likely you do not require NT hosting and you should select one of the UNIX hosting plans. The only time you would need to use NT hosting is when you are using the specific NT applications noted above. Microsoft FrontPage may be used on both the UNIX and NT platforms as most hosting firms support the Microsoft FrontPage server extensions on both. Decide
At this instant, are you ready to make your mind up?
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