For example when trying to fix problems with networking, the command prompt is a good first place to look. If I want to find out whether or not the computer has been given a network address I press Windows key and R to open the Run dialogue, type cmd and press enter. The command 'ipconfig /all' will give me all the information I need to make a first diagnosis.

Let's compare that with doing it with Windows. Assuming the network icon is in the Notifaction Area, a right-click to open the menu is needed followed by selecting Status. Click on the Support Tab and then Details to show the information about the network connection. It the icon isn't in the Notification Area, a trip to Control Panel is required. Vista is even more long winded and often requires reassuring User Account Control that I know what I'm doing. The command prompt method also gives information about all the network devices, not just one.

Fair enough most of the command line jobs are fairly techie by nature, but still useful to have on hand. ping is useful command for checking if a website or network connection is working, and I used to check email from the command line to see if the problem lay with the email client.

I'm not about to move away from graphical interfaces; I need to have several windows open at a time, but I'm certainly not going to give up on it. In some ways the command line concept is having a bit of renaissance.

Take Launchy for example. It's not just for starting software but can be used for much more if you are willing to learn commands. And that'll happen quickly if you're always using them.