I've been looking for some lights to use on my rackmount system and I came across neon and cold cathode. Whats the difference between the different lights? Which one is lasts longer, is brighter, and ...

A 4-pin plastic base with brass pins, two cylindrical electrodes mounted side-by-side below a metal cube. S-shaped envelope. Cold-cathode rectifier in original box with data sheet. Stamped on base: ...