An internet hosting control panel is a set of instruments which you can access from a browser to manage your online content. Since you will have a graphic point-and-click interface, you'll be able to use these instruments to do various tasks easier than if you have to input complex commands in a command line. All control panels allow you to do some basic things such as controlling your files, emails and databases or viewing statistics and logs, but a few of them are easier to use than others and offer more attributes which can save you efforts and time. In this light, the control panel that you'll receive with your new hosting account can make a difference, so you should check it and see if it'll meet your requirements before you register for the service.