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In the Beginning... Was the Command Line
open-in-new
<p><i>In the Beginning... Was the Command Line</i> is an essay by <a href="/facts/Neal_Stephenson/DyjC6fmY">Neal Stephenson</a> which was originally published online in 1999 and later made available in book form (November 1999, <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 978-0380815937). The essay is a commentary on why the proprietary <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a> business is unlikely to remain profitable in the future because of competition from <a href="/facts/Free_software/IaoVtJXn">free software</a>. It also analyzes the corporate/collective culture of the <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>, <a href="/facts/Apple_Computer/oTJYta3k">Apple Computer</a>, and <a href="/facts/Free_software/IaoVtJXn">free software</a> communities. </p>