A web hosting control panel is a group of software instruments that you can access from a browser to control your online content. As you'll have a graphic point-and-click interface, you will be able to use these instruments to perform various tasks easier than if you have to input complex commands inside a command line. All control panels allow you to do some basic things such as managing your files, e-mail addresses and databases or viewing stats and logs, but some of them are simpler and easier to use than others and contain more attributes which could save you time and efforts. In this light, the control panel that you'll get with a new hosting account can really make a difference, therefore you should check it and see if it will meet your requirements before you get the service.