Unix Vs Windows

http://www.bostoncomputing.net/webhosting/unix-vs-windows/

UNIX vs. Windows Hosting
In the world of web site hosting there are two main types of operating system platforms on which you may hostyour web site, namely: UNIX and Windows. Each has its own set of unique features, advantages and disadvantages.

While it is difficult to say which one is the better choice, it is not as difficult toanswer which is the better choice given your needs. The language which your site is programmed in is what primarily dictates the type of hosting you need.

Note: The operating system that you useon your desktop computer (the vast majority of people use some flavor of Windows) has absolutely nothing to do with the one that your host needs to serve your web site. Most personal sites are createdwith MS FrontPage and even although that is a Microsoft product, it can be hosted perfectly on a UNIX web server with FrontPage Extensions installed.


Stability:
UNIX systems (we actually useLinux but for comparison purposes they are identical) are hands-down the winner in this category. There are many factors here but to name just a couple big ones: in our experience UNIX handles highserver loads better than Windows and UNIX machines seldom require reboots while Windows is constantly needing them. Servers running on UNIX enjoy extremely high up-time and high availability/reliability.Performance:
While there is some debate about which operating system performs better, in our experience both perform comparably in low-stress conditions however UNIX servers under high load (whichis what is important) are superior to Windows.

Scalability:
Web sites usually change over time. They start off small and grow as the needs of the person or organization running them grow. Whileboth platforms can often adapt to your growing needs, Windows hosting is more easily made compatible with UNIX-based programming features like PHP and MySQL. UNIX-based web software is not always 100%...