do we get a typical windows server environment with admin account - so I can install our application much like I could on my local windows server, create users etc.? also - how do I point my local PC applications to the hosted SQL Server instance and its databases?
No, I'm afraid you will need to upload your files using FTP. To point your application to your SQL database, you will need to use a connection string. We provide that information to you in the Winhost Control Panel.