What
should I choose, Windows or Linux ?
Introduction
to Linux and windows 2003
eserves's Guide
Summary
When planning an Internet venture, one of the most basic
questions for any Webmaster is what platform to base the Web
site on. The two most popular platforms, Linux and windows
2003 are widely available and offer various options and have
differing abilities. Your choice of platform will define the
utility and type of software that you can use, the kind of
applications that your site can run, what kind of server can
host your site, the amount of control you have over your
site and how efficiently your site will work as it grows in
scale.
When deciding on whether or not you will choose a Linux or
windows 2003 platform it is important to keep in mind what
Web host will host your site. Established Web hosts (such as
eserves) offer service on both platforms, while others
offer service only on windows 2003 or Linux, this doesn't
give a professional impression on such a host. Any Web Host
can offer service in either platform but the main difference
is in customer support, eserves offers one of the largest
and most valuable support
arena to support both 2 platforms.
Introduction to Linux and windows 2003
The fundamental difference between Linux and windows 2003
stems from how they came into existence. Linux was designed
to integrate with large network systems, while windows 2003
was made to serve the needs of individual users or companies
that don't want to deal with the complexities of Linux
administration.
Linux has been around, in one form or another, for the last
twenty years and as such is a very mature platform. Because
of this, the system is very well developed and stable, and
there is a lot of software and applications designed to work
for it. windows 2003, on the other hand, was created more
recently by Microsoft as a system specifically designed to
handle the user-friendly software, which it has developed
for Web page design. With windows 2003, you get a platform
that runs a series of naturally compatible programs and
applications that mesh easily within the ubiquitous Windows
environment. The main thing is to decide which system suits
the projected needs of your Web site.
eserves's guide :
1. How will your customers or visitors view your site?
When you are planning your site, think of how your
visitors view your site. The technology is improving every
day and users are upgrading their systems in kind, but it is
important to remember that a great number of users are
working with technology that is a few years out of date.
This concept is important at every level of Web site
planning, even when deciding what platform to use. Creating
a complex web site that requires a lot of data transfer will
be slow on older equipment and this may be counter
productive for you. Remember to think of your visitors when
deciding what software you are planning to use. This is
important because the software you want can some times
determine what platform you must use!
2. What programs and application will work for you?
FrontPage 2000 by Microsoft, Cold Fusion by Allaire, CGI
scripts, Cybercash, and Java servelts are just a few off the
many names and buzz words that float around the Internet
business. Deciding what software you need and what features
you want, and therefore what kind of platform you run your
site on, is one of the most important decisions you will
make. For instance, if you or your are skilled systems
administrator you might choose the Linux platform so that
you can take advantage of it programming flexibility. On the
other hand if your Web site is and accessory to your
business and your time and staff resources are small, you
should work with an integrated package like Microsoft's
FrontPage 2000 and run on an windows 2003 platform.
3. How large do you expect your site to grow?
When you are making the plan for your web site try and think
of how large it is going to grow. Is your Web host going to
need to support a lot of features? Do you need Real Audio,
Video or chat capability? Are you going to have a lot of web
pages and a lot of traffic, e-mail accounts and E-commerce
activity? In the beginning, even if you start out small, on
a virtual host (or shared host), remember that one day you
may grow large. At the present time, you may be advised to
go with a Linux platform because of its flexibility, its
multiple application possibilities and its proven robustness
in large Web site environments.
Keep in mind, however, that recoding from one platform to
another is difficult and time-consuming. Many believe that
Microsoft will soon have features comparable to Linux:
Features that are not only easier for the average Webmaster
to use but ones that will integrate easily into already
existing Web sites.
4. How much administrative control do you really need?
In this category, Linux is generally considered
superior. This is because its system allow for programming
closer to the base of the programming hierarchy. In Linux an
experienced Webmaster or Web developer can fine-tune a Web
site, using CGI scripts, to create applications and site
features specific to their needs. In fact, some Web hosting
services even offer free CGI scripting as part of their
Linux packages. Find out about these when choosing your Web
host. But the question is 'how much administrative control
do you really need?' Many users do not need the kind of
direct control that Linux provides and are better off with
the simpler, pre-prepared (and integrated) programming that
Microsoft supplies for the windows 2003 platform.
Summary :
In the end, it will be the needs of you and your visitors
that will define what programs and applications you want to
work with. Once this is decided the kind of platform you
need will become apparent. If you need help answering these
questions, ask a professional Web developer or sales
representative from a reputable Web hosting company. They
will be able to help you wade through the details and decide
whether you should use a Linux or an windows 2003 platform.
Defining whether one platform is superior to the other is
relative to you and your visitors needs. Linux is older and
offers some network and programming advantages, but you can
be sure that Microsoft is working overtime to produce
similar capability in a Webmaster friendly environment.
windows 2003's simplicity and integration may make it a
better long-run solution for your web site.
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