Re: GUI vs: CLI

From: gswork (gswork_at_mailcity.com)
Date: 03/31/04 

Date: 31 Mar 2004 01:39:21 -0800

Nick Landsberg <hukolau@NOSPAM.att.net> wrote in message news:<Tnrac.5307$He5.111351@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
> Randy Howard wrote:
>
> > In article <4069DFC3.C2BC6D44@Sonnack.com>, Chris@Sonnack.com says...
> >
> >>Here's the thing that occurred to me. That little GUI app not only
> >>spells out all the possible options right in front of your face, it
> >>can trivially include a little help file or "tooltips" providing more
> >>detail on the app and the options. Even the labeling of the controls
> >>can provide "at your finger tips" information.
> >>
> >>That seems a pretty big win to me.
> >>
> >>Can you make an objective case for superiority of the CLI over
> >>something like this? To me, the GUI tool seems to provide all
> >>that the "old fashioned" method does plus value added.
> >
> >
> > They're pretty hard to run over an ssh connection to an embedded
> > service processor, for example.
> >
> > CLI app to do something useful: 40K bytes, on a bad day.
> > time to load: near-instantly.
> >
> > GUI app to do same useful thing with help, tooltips, scrollbars,
> > icons, paper-clip annoying dude, etc.: 5MB.
> > time to load: 30+ seconds
>
> Where the heck do you get only 30 seconds?
> At dial-up speeds it's 3-4 minutes per MB
> on a good day!

I think Randy meant time to load into memory on a 'normal' PC rather
than to download via the internet - though your comments stands as
good reason in that regard too!