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Although the Linux operating system is still a favorite amongst webmasters and web hosting providers, Windows is trailing closely behind and has been gaining popularity during the past couple of years. In the home PC market, Windows is well known as the most popular operating system in the world, with the Mac OS X being a close second. Meanwhile, many regular computer users have never even heard of Linux, despite its popularity in the hosting industry. Windows web hosting is more expensive than Linux hosting, and has a significant number of limitations in relation to software compatibility and licenses. Nonetheless, there is a high demand for Windows web hosting plans, and the majority of major hosting providers offer a selection of Windows hosting packages. The following paragraphs explain the recent rise in popularity of Windows web hosting.

Novice Webmasters and Initial Online Endeavors

As mentioned, Windows has established a reputable brand in the home computer market, and is perhaps the most familiar name when it comes to operating systems. Thus, many novice Webmasters choose Windows web hosting over Linux because of its familiarity and renowned reputation, rather than its features or cost. There are two types of aspiring online business owners  – those on a budget that attempt to save as much as possible while building their first websites to mitigate risk, and those that would like to maximize their chances of success and will spare no cost to do so. Individuals within the latter group are usually the ones that will opt for Windows web hosting for their initial online endeavors.

The Need for Windows-Based Applications

Other than novice webmasters, some business owners have a legitimate reason to use Windows web hosting – Windows-based applications. Online businesses that utilize Windows applications like SharePoint and Microsoft Server need a web server with the Windows operating system installed in order to function. Alternatively, it is possible to purchase a Linux web hosting plan and install virtualization software in order to host a third-party operating system like Windows within the Linux operating system. However, most people are not aware of this solution and instead opt to purchase a Windows web hosting plan for their Windows-based business applications.

Windows Performance and Familiarity

The Windows operating system user interface also contributes greatly towards the rising popularity of Windows web hosting during the past few of years. Windows is known for reliable performance, and Microsoft provides continual automatic updates to web hosting providers and computer users. Thus, while it may take longer to repair certain bugs within the operating system, fixes are guaranteed to arrive, and Windows is considered to be much safer than other open-source operating systems like Linux. Even so, Linux is also reliable and safe operating system, and is a cheap alternative to Windows that is suitable for individuals on a budget, or that do not have a need for Windows-based web applications. Although Windows hosting is more expensive than Linux, the margin is not that large, with Windows hosting plans usually only costing $20-$50 more than their Linux counterpart.

Windows web hosting is a very useful tool as it allows businesses and individuals to create and manage websites at reasonable prices and reduce website costs. One may find numerous web hosting plans by carrying out a search over the internet; however, it is difficult to skim through the thousands of web hosting results considering most of these results are just spam. Hence, if you do not want to waste time and effort skimming through these results, this article will allow you to save time by highlighting top eight reasonable windows web hosting plans which are available in the market.

Arvixe: Arvixe provides a free domain name forever with round the clock support and no hidden charges and is priced at $5.

Lunarpages: Lunarpages provides free of cost domain, website setup and Dreamweaver support and is priced at $9.95.

GoDaddy: It is one of the most known firms and provides backups every day, Google webmaster tools along with free of cost email addresses for a price of $6.99.

Myhosting: The plan comes with round the clock support, Windows web hosting along with many unlimited tools and is priced at $9.34.

ixWebhosting: The web hosting plan is priced at $4.95 and offers free trial for a week along with unlimited disk space, dedicated IPs and free domain.

aplus.net: This is considered to be among the most reasonably priced plans at $4.98 and offers free domain, Google and MSN coupons and allows clients to save 50% of costs.

SinoHosting: Hosted from China, the plan offers Linux and Windows web hosting along with free setup priced at $6.25.

Gossimer: Priced at $5.00, this web hosting plan comes with Yahoo credit worth $50, unlimited disk storage and unlimited data transfer.

The above mentioned list proves that getting affordable web hosting for your website is not hard and may just require thorough research before the selection of a web hosting plan for your website. When you save money by getting an affordable web hosting plan, you may use the saved money to spend on other important business or website needs.

ASP (Active Server Pages) is a revolutionary programming language and platform that facilitates the creation of dynamic webpages that can utilize interactive components and respond quickly to visitor input. Unlike other similar programming platforms that allow you to create interactive webpages, ASP is a complete server-side scripting solution, which means it is much more reliable and stable. An example of components that are commonly amended and programmed using ASP are forms, search engines, blogs, calendars, e-mail modules, newsletters, polls, surveys, hit counters, and any other component of a webpage that is related to or dependent upon a site visitor’s actions. ASP also provides the additional advantage of being fully compatible with all browsers, thereby making it a universal scripting solution.

How to Find ASP Web Hosting Plans

Unfortunately, in order to utilize this unique programming platform, is absolutely necessary to have access to a web server that is compatible with ASP (a specific type of Windows web hosting). However, it is important to note that ASP Web hosting plans are not simply services that lease Windows web servers, as these plans usually already have Active Server Pages technology installed on the server and ready to be utilized. It is also important to realize that, while the majority of web hosting providers claim that their hosting plans are compatible with nearly all programming platforms, this does not mean that support for ASP is provided. Since ASP is such a powerful programming platform, it would be preferable to choose a hosting provider that specializes in this technology.

What Is an ASP Server?

An ASP server is simply a web server with the Windows operating system and the ASP scripting platform installed. Although Windows Vista and Windows 7 carries integrated support for ASP servers, older versions of Windows such as windows XP and Windows and the do not support ASP scripting. However, by utilizing a third-party software known as “Chili” (distributed by Sun Microsystems), it is possible to enjoy the benefits of ASP programming outside of the Windows operating system. Chili is basically a virtualization software that allows you to run ASP on other operating systems such as Linux, Solaris, or AIX. Although it would be ideal to host ASP scripts on a powerful web server (such as a dedicated or VPS server) in order to optimize functionality and performance, this versatile programming language is capable of being run on even a modest web server (i.e. – those offered with a shared hosting plan).

The Simplicity of ASP

Despite its extensive capabilities, the ASP programming platform is very similar to HTML, so even the most novice to intermediate webmasters should be able to easily transition into using this type of scripting language. In fact, even individuals that have no experience with web development should be able to learn ASP as their first programming language. Fortunately, it won’t require years of hard work to become an efficient ASP programmer, as there are many user-friendly interactive applications that simplify the learning curve significantly.

Linux web hosting and Windows web hosting are similar, in that both of them will let you put a website online with very little effort. However, there are some fundamental difference between the two. The truth is, neither is better than the other, because they both have their own select set of benefits, depending upon their intended application. Each one has a list of advantages and disadvantages, and the choice to use either one should be based solely upon your needs as a webmaster, rather than the popularity of the operating system itself.

It is true that most people can get by with a Linux web hosting plan without any significant problems. However, some people may require the ability to run Windows-based web applications on their server, in which case a Linux web hosting plan would simply not suffice.

When is Linux Hosting Better than Windows Hosting?

Linux web hosting is better than Windows hosting if you are in need of a simple, affordable, and reliable web hosting solution. For example, if you operate a basic eCommerce site, or a network of blogs, then you could easily use a Linux hosting plan without any problems. A Linux hosting plan would also be preferable over a Windows hosting plan if you were on a strict budget, and/or did not have any needs for Windows-based web applications.

When is Windows Hosting Better than Linux Hosting?

As mentioned, if you need to run Windows applications on your server, then a Windows web hosting plan would be absolutely essential. Any serverside Microsoft products that you need to run will need to be run on a Windows server, preferably a Windows VPS. The downside to a Windows server is that any updates can take a long time to happen, because you’ll have to wait for Microsoft to upgrade their software. On the other hand, any bug within Linux software can be fixed seemingly overnight, because it is an open source software that can be patched and amended by any willing developer.

Which One is Right For Me?

After considering the above information carefully, you should be able to make an informed decision. If you are still having trouble determining which one is right for you, then a Linux server may be the better option for you. Linux servers are more reliable, affordable, and user-friendly than Windows web servers, which makes them an ideal solution for the novice webmaster. You could also talk to any prospective hosting companies about which one would suit your needs best. Simply tell the service representative what kind of online business you operate, how many sites you own, and what kind of software you may need to run if any. Based on that information, any qualified service rep should be able to point you in the right direction.

Conclusion

In the world of web hosting there is no right or wrong decisions, only misinformed ones. Before making any decision regarding your online business you should make sure you are knowledgeable about the task at hand.

Windows is the most popular operating system on the Earth, with millions of computer users undoubtedly logged into Windows right now. However, the web hosting industry is still relatively diverse, with much of the business consisting of Linux web hosting plans. Linux web hosting is cheaper for both the consumer and the web hosting provider, thus it is a much more common web hosting solution. The average webmaster doesn’t know the difference between Linux, Unix, or Windows web hosting, and thus the industry is shaped by the factor of price alone, as consumers and companies choose plans that are the most affordable. However, there are some very distinct uses for Windows web hosting.

Windows Applications

The primary reason to choose Windows web hosting is the need for compatibility with Windows applications. Microsoft has effectively cornered the market and created somewhat of a monopoly in the consumer computer industry. The main problem with Windows applications is that they need to be run in the Windows operating system. If your sites currently utilize Windows applications, then you will need a Windows-based web server to keep your site running smoothly. Since Windows web servers only receive support from Microsoft, consumers have to wait until Microsoft can fix any bugs, unlike Linux which is an open source software. This dependency on Microsoft makes Windows web hosting more expensive, and absolutely necessary in some situations.

The Windows Brand

The second reason why people choose Windows web hosting plans over Linux web hosting plans is the trust in the Windows name. Many average computer users have never heard of the Linux operating system. Many people simply trust the Windows name more than Linux, but does this make it any more powerful or capable than Linux? In technical terms – no. In social terms – yes. In other words, the power and convenience of the operating system is no longer a factor since the Windows brand is synonymous with a large portion of computer technology. It is nearly impossible to buy a good piece of software without having access to Windows or Mac. As Mac web hosting is unavailable, Windows is the familiar name that comes to mind.

Simpler User Interface

Another reason why someone would use Windows web hosting would be the sheer familiarity of the operating system over Linux. If you’re familiar with the Windows operating system then chances are you’d be more inclined to choose a Windows web hosting plan. This however is not always the correct thing to do, as the user interface of a Windows server is not exactly the same, or similar to the Windows operating system. In fact, many people believe the Linux servers contain an easier interface. In fact, many would venture to say that Linux is an overall better value for your money, which would only leave one reason to buy Windows web hosting – the need for Microsoft compatibility with web applications. The entire Microsoft organization is built on this concept; monopolize and conquer.