[geeks] fwd: The Seven Phases of Owning an iPod: UI

[Sridhar Ayengar]

Charles Shannon Hendrix wrote:
>>> Well, IOS isn't a general purpose computer for users, so I wouldn't have
>>> included it anyway.
>>>
>>> I really don't remember IOS being like TOPS.  I remember a help system,
>>> but not one built into each command.
>>>
>>> But then, my use of IOS was almost exclusively when something went wrong
>>> so I didn't use it that much.
>> To some extent, IOS reminds me of VMS.
> 
> Did each command have context help in it?

To some extent.  It's not as good as VMS's, but it's enough to get you 
by in a pinch.  Typing a question mark on a command line tells you what 
is expected for the next parameter.  You probably still need the 
installation and configuration guides to do anything complicated.  The 
command-reference definitely helps too.

> I really should have a Cisco at home to practice with. Maybe I should
> try to find an inexpensive one and use it in place of a switch for my
> LAN setups.

Even newer Cisco switches run IOS.  No reason to replace a fast 
radically-multiport layer-2 switch with a slower layer-3 router that has 
a much lower port count.

Peace...  Sridhar