The WampServer version that I downloaded and installed on my Windows Vista is version 2.0.x and so far, the experience is good — no freezes, no blue screen of deaths, no problems. I just needed to configure the modules to match my remote web dedicated server environment and with WampServer, that is far very easy to do. I only need to left-click the small icon on my system tray then a menu appears and from there you can check and uncheck the modules you want to run for Apache, extensions for PHP and all other things. Vertrigo’s configuration window are easier for beginners though.

WampServer installation includes the following vital web server components and their corresponding versions:

• Apache 2.2.8
• MySQL 5.0.51b
• PHP 5.2.6
• PHPMyAdmin
• SQLiteManager

Plus, you can install add-ons and independent versions of Apache and PHP other than the default for flexibility. WampServer comes also in French version which is good for French web developers and programmers. If you want to know how to install it, there’s a quick guide on its official homepage.

The only minor issue I had with WampServer is when I decide to change the port of Apache to 8080 making it “localhost:8080″ on my web browser. The problem is when I changed Apache’s configuration file to run on that port other than the default port 80, the three menu items on the system tray “PHPMyAdmin, Localhost and SQLiteManager” are not pointing to 8080 (they remain under port 80 and that is a little problem here). I hope the developers of WampServer are going to fix this as I have started to love this software. It’s running on my system as I write this.

My patience has finally run out with the most hailed, highly professional freeware web server environment package I’ve been using for ages. In lieu with my one year length work at home as webmaster (one many hats I wear), I’ve been suffering the dreaded  “blue screen of death” (BSOD) randomly since I first used VertrigoServ on Windows Vista Home Premium. In fact, the BSOD I experienced from using VertrigoServ is the first I’ve ever seen on Windows Vista. And guess what it’s not fun.

Why I Love VertrigoServ Ever Since

As a webmaster, web developer and web designer, it is easy to fall in love with VertrigoServ web server environment in the first place. It is very lightweight, professional and easy to use with up-to-date components. As of this writing, I am using the latest version, VertrigoServ 2.21.  It comprises fully-functional, up-to-date components that include:

• Apache 2.0.63
• PHP 5.2.6
• MySQL 5.0.51b
• SQLite 3.5.9
• Smarty 2.6.19
• PhpMyAdmin 2.11.7
• ZendOptimizer 3.3.3 and
• SQLiteManager 1.2.0

And Why I Am Starting To Dislike It

I’ve been using VertrigoServ for more than a year and been happy with it when I was still working on my old personal computer running Windows XP Professional operating system. VertrigoServ’s web server environment is very stable and fast, outperforming Apache2Triad that I’ve known since my university days. VertrigoServ web server package features an easy to use, minimalistic user interface perfect for both beginners and advanced users. Now enough with good things, when I moved to Windows Vista Home Premium, VertrigoServ started to crash randomly showing the worst, disappointing and most dreaded Microsoft operating system screen — the “blue screen of death” or BSOD. And it is a puzzling problem since sometimes VertrigoServ loads successfully and sometimes not.

I just hope that this blog post will reach the developers behind VertrigoServ and will work to make their product more friendly and compatible with Windows Vista. Lots of avid users like me are using it and waiting for the beloved fix. I hope they would act soon before I decide to uninstall it due to annoyance. For now, I will stretch my patience.

First, I want you to know me and check my credentials.

Now, here are my web skills:

Web Software Customization and Integration
I have a good understanding of web page standards and its direct effects with online marketing. I have developed sites and helped develop sites optimized for better search engine results (SEO). With this, you are assured that every web page that I develop is competitive and market-inclined.

HTML/xHTML, CSS and SEO Consultation
I have a good understanding of web page standards and its direct effects with online marketing. I have developed sites for myself and other companies, and optimized them for better search engine results (SEO). With this, you are assured that every web page that I develop is competitive and market-inclined. My mastery with CSS, on the other hand, makes me very flexible when it comes to web interfacing. I know some techniques that will boost SEO as well without sacrificing the aesthetics of your website. I can provide you a link builder to hire if you need one for only $110 per month. With its price, the link builder will work 2 hours a day doing forum and blog commenting on sites relevant to theme and topic of your site, resulting a better inbound links and SEO competency when it comes to search engine page results (SERP).

Article Marketing
I was involved with campus journalism during my university years. I can write an article about your website if you need better Web visibility or if you are building your site a good PageRank (PR).

PHP + MySQL Database Engine
I can build CMS systems from the scratch using PHP, though I cannot compete with the pace of a web development company who employs several web developers working on one website. I am adept with MySQL database language as well.

Photoshop, Flash and Swish
I can do Photoshop, build flash animations and preloaders if your site needs one. Just tell me.

Now, those are my mainstream skills. I have a lot of skills and I cannot enumerate them all at once. Rest assured, if you become my customer, I can personally guarantee your satisfaction and privacy. Help me spread the word!

When I was still a struggling student, W3Schools was my ultimate bible in web development. That website and SitePoint, a popular web development forum, are my last resort when I encounter computer programming difficulties. With no cost, W3Schools offer free and up-to-date tutorials to different Web languages that truly accelerated my learning. And yeah, I could say strongly that their resources influenced my previous scholastic achievement – I was hailed the Magna Cum Laude for the Information Technology department in our campus. Well honestly, I don’t care about that title but it definitely gave me an edge over rivals during my job hunting.

If you ever dreamed of becoming a web developer and create your own website but you are intimidated with the languages and codes that you might encounter – then make a head start in W3Schools. No computer programming education? No problem. They have tutorials on popular web languages like from beginners to advanced topics – starting from HTML, XML, browser scripting, server-side scripting, .NET, multimedia, and everything.

However, I would like to suggest that you do your study in the following order.

• HTML/xHTML – Learn how to write W3C-compliant web page, insert images, do preliminary web design using tables and explore the very foundation of web development. By the way, W3C unleashed xHTML 5.0 last January! For complete reference, click here.
• CSS – Improve the aesthetics aspect of your web pages by using style sheets, and slowly migrating from using tables to CSS tags <div> and <span>.
• JavaScript – learn how to validate your page and do client-side scripting.
• PHP / ASP.net – server-side scripting, personally I am inclined to PHP (I like it) because it is free. If you favor Microsoft, however, then choose ASP.net languages.
• MySQL – learn how to interact with databases and make your page content dynamic using the standard query language (SQL).
• AJAX – if you are good enough with PHP and JavaScript, explore the world of AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and learn how to do dynamic content without page reload.

Well, you will need an HTML editor for your study. I recommend that you check out my previous post about Adobe Dreamweaver (among other software that will make you productive on the Web). Buy it if you have the enough dough or just use Notepad++ for your HTML / coding needs. I also recommend that you get a hosting account — having such will really, really boost your learning in many ways and make your online life more exciting.