Compare Windows 2008 Hosting

Minimum 1 GHz (x86 processor) or 1.4 GHz (x64 processor), with 2 GHz or faster recommended. Minimum 512 MB RAM, with 2 GB RAM or greater recommended. Maximum for 32-bit systems is 4 GB (Standard) or 64 GB (Enterprise and Datacenter). Maximum for 64-bit systems is 32 GB (Standard) or 1 TB (Enterprise and Datacenter) or 2 TB (Itanium-Based Systems). Minimum 10 GB disk space, with 40 GB or greater recommended.

Yes, you can use PHP on Windows Server. PHP runs a site dedicated to supporting PHP on Windows (windows.php.net). You can download PHP distributions for Windows from the site and get help on which version you should use.

Yes, you can run WordPress on Windows Server. Microsoft has created a product called WebMatrix that makes it easier to install WordPress on Windows. Use Microsoft Web Platform Installer to install WordPress, WebMatrix, and any pre-requisites on IIS. To download these and get help, go to the Microsoft/web site on microsoft.com. To get help from the creators of WebPress, see the WordPress Codex on wordpress.org.

For a while. How long the support will continue can’t be guaranteed, but considering they continued supporting Windows 2003 until mid-2015, it makes sense that they would continue to support Windows 2008 until roughly 2020. That’s probably okay if you’re selecting a host that is currently using Windows 2008. But if you’re looking to self-host, 2020 may come faster than you expect.

ASP.NET is a web application framework developed my Microsoft for creating dynamic websites, web applications, and web services. While originally a proprietary framework intended to be used with Microsoft Visual Studio, it has since been made open source and can be developed on any platform.

Visual Basic is a programming language based on BASIC and developed for use with Microsoft Visual Studio. It is an object-oriented programming language designed for building GUI-based Windows applications.

This will depend on who you talk to. Linux enthusiasts will undoubtedly argue that Linux is easier because it gives administrators complete control of their system and their code. Of course, complete control and ease-of-use are not the same things. Windows has dominated the desktop computer scene for decades because no other desktop platform offers the mix of user-friendly controls and mass support. Likewise, Windows Servers, while capable of complex operations and customization, are also perfect for users with little-to-no programming background who never want to get their hands dirty with command line and think plug-ins are things that make your home smell nice.

No. Users can access your server from any machine. However, if you plan to use Windows 2008 as a file-sharing computer or for your company intranet, some users may not have access to Windows-only software from non-windows machines.

Absolutely. Classes are available just about anywhere, in person or online. They are offered through Microsoft, as well as through a number of third-party testing groups. Certifications are also available for a variety of server-based roles.

In general, Windows servers require more from their hardware than Linux servers. Even given the age of the OS, you should still expect to need a higher-end machine than if you were to select a brand-new Linux server. And you need to consider the age of the OS. If you are going the Windows server route, you should consider going with 2012 instead, or wait until 2016 is released. Both of those, of course, will have even higher demands in terms of hardware.

Yes. As Microsoft continues to move its focus away from the operating system and toward applications, and in particular winning mobile users on other platforms, they have made their full server-side .NET stack open source. This includes ASP.NET, the .NET compiler, and the .NET Core Runtime, Framework, and Libraries.

You can continue to use your website, but some of the functions may no longer be available, such as direct upload via HTTP, FrontPage-managed online forms, and FrontPage reports. For a complete list, you should contact your host. Better yet, this may be the perfect time to bring your website out of the aughts.

You will need at least a 1 GHz x86 processor or a 1.4 GHz x64 processor, 512 MB RAM, and 10GB available hard disk space. Of course, those are minimums. For best performance, you should shoot much higher, particularly if you plan on using the Enterprise or Datacenter versions.

That depends on your version and system configuration. If you are running Windows 2008 on a 32-bit system, you are limited to 4 GB for the Standard version and 64 GB for the Enterprise or Datacenter versions. On a 64-bit system, you can go up to 32 GB for Standard, 1 TB for Enterprise and Datacenter, and 2 TB on Itanium-based systems.

The operating system you use for your daily computing should not in any way influence the hosting package you pick. If that mattered, the army of dedicated Apple users would all be out of luck because you won’t find a Mac hosting plan. Or an iOS hosting plan for that matter. The user interface you’re familiar with doesn’t matter, because your interaction with your web server is going to be through a web-based control panel, a web development program like Dreamweaver, or an FTP client. And if you plan on using a CMS platform, such as WordPress, it’s going to look the same regardless what server you are using. Pick your server based on how you plan to use it, not what you’re familiar with.