In the Beginning... Was the Command Line Review
In the Beginning... Was the Command Lineby Neal Stephenson
Avon, 1999.
Paperback, 151 pages.
ISBN: 0380815931.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
This account of the development of
computer operating systems and the
reaction of users and computer professionals
to different operating systems is both
funny and insightful.
Neal Stephenson, author of
Cryptonomicon, writes in a literary,
witty style
as he uncovers the development of
operating systems, his falling out
with Macs and his explanation of
why people actually continue to use Windows.
Stephenson covers operating systems including
MacOS, Microsft, BeOs, Unix and Linux and
also touches on Disney World and GUI.
Stephenson attacks both Apple and
Microsoft in the process, including the
loyal users who settle for either of
these choices for an operating system.
Stephenson provides lots of technical backup to his trouncing of Windows and MacOS -- much to the delight of techies and hackers. Despite his jabs at Microsoft, Stephenson has this to say about the company being a monopoly: "The U.S. government's assertion that Microsoft has a monopoly on the OS market might be the most patently absurd claim ever advanced by the legal mind. Linux, a technically superior operating system, is being given away for free and BeOS is available at a nominal price. This is simply a fact, which has to be accepted whether or not you like Microsoft." Whether you are infatuated with Stephenson's points about Windows or MacOS being unsophisticated and overpriced operating systems or not, he does provide a great deal of insight into why people argue about Macintosh versus Microsoft, why hackers prefer Linux or BeOS and about the quality of operating systems in general. In the Beginning… Was the Command Line is a very enlightening and entertaining look into the development of the operating system, which has become a very hotly debated subject as of late. Stephenson currently prefers BeOS over its more prominent rivals, but one wonders how long it will be before he sours on this operating system, too. In any event, his book is a must-read for anyone trying to understand the great operating systems wars.
Return to the June 2000 issue of The IWJ.
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