opinions on mysql hosting

[gordon]

Now that I am going to start playing around with mySQl. I need to upgrade my hosting plan so that after I develop and test a site at home, I can put it up on a server and also test it in a realworld scenario so to speak.

I am happy with my hosting company and the upgrade is reasonable but they use mysql 3.23, so I looked at two other companies and they also use mysql 3.23.

What I do now certainly is not going to push the envelope of mysql but I also what to consider future applications. Should I continue to search for a hosting company that offers mysql 4.0 or should I be satisfied with 3.23.

For my computer I downloaded version 4.0. If I go with a hosting compnay using 3.23 should I trash my 4.0 version and download 3.23?

[john316]

Sometimes the latest version is not always the "best" version. Hosting companies probably don't want to take a chance on the latest version causing problems for their customers and themselves, and probably (rightly so) stick with the most "mature" version.

[mole]

Two comments:

(1) there's a lot to be said for testing on the same version of the DBMS you're going to run the live system on - so do your dev work on 3.23

(2) version 3.23 is fine - go with it.