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When choosing a hosting package, a web hosting company gives you the option of choosing between a UNIX hosting and windows hosting. You need to understand the differences between the two and which one suits you best.

Both UNIX and windows servers are universally accessible. The data that is served by them is identical. The only difference lies in the software used to serve that particular data.
However, the reliability factor of UNIX is slightly higher than that of Windows. UNIX systems can run for years together without the need for rebooting them. The other advantage is that they are known to be more stable than their Windows counterparts.

Most of the web hosting companies use different versions of LINUX like Linux and FreeBSD. The basic advantage of these operating systems is that they are free and the hosting costs are fairly inexpensive. Windows on the other hand costs hundreds of dollars. Therefore, some hosts offer the hosting package with Windows at an extra charge.

Besides the fact that LINUX is free of cost, the other benefit lies in the fact that LINUX and the other UNIX varieties are open-source software. This means that one has the option of changing the source code as well as make further modifications and updates. Windows is the proprietary software owned by Microsoft, so users can only add updates when Microsoft releases them.

The difference between the two operating systems is that each can run a particular type of software. Windows is suitable for Microsoft products such as MS Access databases, ASP for delivering dynamic content, and VBScript for site enhancements whereas UNIX cannot accommodate these technologies. So if you need the above softwares, it would be advisable to select a Windows host. UNIX hosts deliver dynamic content by using software such as PHP, CGI, and MySQL – technologies which are also available on Windows hosts.

If you need to host Windows files like videos and audios, then Windows plays a vital role. Other types of media such as MP3, Flash, Shockwave and Real can be handled by either UNIX or Windows.

Which is Best?
It is advisable to deeply consider which technologies you will need before you narrow down on which type of hosting you require. Take into account whether you need a dynamic site or whether you will have multimedia content like streaming video or audio.

Now both UNIX and Windows system are compatible to provide dynamic content with PHP, MySQL, as well as CGI, and there are thousands of dynamic scripts readily available. Multimedia can also be hosted by either type of server, although Windows media (WMA and WMV) need to be hosted on a Windows server.

Therefore if it is imperative for you to have a Microsoft database, ASP and Windows Media, then of course a Windows host is highly recommended otherwise a UNIX host could serve your requirements best. The benefits of choosing UNIX systems include more choices in web hosts, slightly higher reliability factor and more affordable hosting charges.

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