character user interface (thing)

a.k.a. "the shell". Like a graphical user interface, except it's not graphical. Just text characters, typed in one after another, to put data in and get data out in the fastest possible manner.

Advantages:

• cheap monitor
• no mouse required
• straightforward to conceal what you're doing
• easy on the eyes

• cheap games
• hard to memorize endless keyboard shortcuts
• can't open more than one file at a time
• ASCII porn