Unix was initially developed as a command-line operating system. Linux uses KDE and Gnome for the Graphical User Interface (GUI), making it much more user-friendly.

Cron is nice and all, but don't forget about its cousin at. When I first started using Linux, it was like being tossed into the deep end of the UNIX pool. You were expected to use the command line ...

If you're already using the Unix-like Cygwin, it's an easy hack to embed Cygwin's commands into your standard Windows comand prompt; if not, it might be worth checking out the free download.