UI stability

The years from 1990 to 2010 were the years of Windows dominance, with a stable platform for computing. Yet this platform was not immune to changes.

Microsoft made several changes to the interface of Windows. The change from Windows 3 to Windows 95 (or Windows NT) was significant. Microsoft introduced better fonts, "3-D" controls, and the "start" menu. Microsoft made more changes in Windows XP, especially in the "home" edition. Windows Vista saw more changes (to compete with Apple) and Windows 8 expanded the "start" menu to full screen with active tiles.

These changes in Windows required users to re-learn the user interface.

Microsoft is not alone. Apple, too, has made changes to the user interfaces for Mac OS and iOS. Ask a long-time user of Mac OS about scrolling, and you may get an earful about a change that reversed the direction for scroll operations.

Contrast these changes to the command line. For Windows, the command line is provided by the "Command Window" or the CMD shell. It is based heavily on the MS-DOS command line, which in turn was based on the CP/M command line, which was based on DEC operating systems. While Microsoft has added a few features over time, the basic command line remains constant. Anyone familiar with MS-DOS 2.0 would be comfortable in the latest Windows command prompt. (Not the Powershell; that is a different beast.)

For Unix or Linux, the command line depends on the shell program in use. There are several shell programs: The C Shell (csh), The Bourne Shell, and the Bourne Again Shell (bash), to name a few. They all do the same thing, each with their own habits, yet each have been consistent over the years.

System administrators and developers often favor the command line. Perhaps because it is powerful. Perhaps because it is terse. Perhaps because it requires little network bandwidth and allows for effective use over low-speed connections. But also perhaps because it has been consistent and stable over the years, and requires little or no ongoing learning.

This may be a lesson for application developers (and mobile designers).