PHP is benchmarked to be faster than ASP. Go to zdnet.com and search for ASP and PHP.
The hidden costs of ASP is apart from additional software such as MS SQL server, IIS and various extensions!
The really big cost is that ASP code is more difficult to develop (not difficult as in brain-power-need, but ASP (JScript, VBScript) is so bad compared to PHP that it takes longer time for expensive webdevelopers to do it).
I was an ASP professional, and have ditched it for PHP. Firstly, I just tested PHP and found it cool. A few months ago I had to go back to save a project started in ASP, and it was then I really saw the difference. PHP is actually much better in many aspects.
Ask you friend why so many people go ASP->PHP but so few go PHP->ASP.
ASP people tend to be a bit stuck with it; thinking "I'm good with ASP, but why all of a sudden become a webdevelopment novice again?"
PHP is not the best, but one thing is for sure, PHP is better than ASP. No doubt. And that says someone (-me-) who really knows.
