So now you have a web site and you are probable searching for a web server and you are confused as to whether you should choose a Windows package or a Linux hosting package. When you think of web hosting you need to think it as something completely different than your setup at home where you would have your laptop or desktop running the Microsoft operating system. Your web site is located on a web server which is entirely different as well as mutually exclusive to your home environment.
The web server is set up to house your web files and distribute them accordingly as people view your website. The difference is the actual software used on the web server that will determine which to use for your web site. For example, Linux servers tend to use Apache which is the most common web serving software in the industry, but Windows, on the other hand will most likely use IIS. The difference is that Apache is an open source and FREE web server and while Windows can use Apache as well, IIS is better for Windows specific implementation like the use of ASP and other Microsoft specific products.
What Web Server is good for you?
There are many different brands of web servers, but for the mass market we narrow the field down to two main ones. The first being Apache and the other being Microsoft Windows. This is divided even further because Apache is predominantly used solely for the Linux environment and IIS for Windows. As it stands, a normal website with no special software or scripting, usually involving text and a few images would be indifferent thus you as the end-user could use both web servers. When your web site requires Microsoft related software to have it work, then it is better for the web server to be IIS as opposed to Apache. Most web sites will work in the Linux environment, but when you use particularly third party software, you should check the installation information in order to make the appropriate decision for what web server you will need.
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