I really think the two paradigms can be combined: you can have a command line which makes suggestions as to what you mean (like tab completion), but also just t

I really think the two paradigms can be combined: you can have a command line which makes suggestions as to what you mean (like tab completion), but also just takes what you've typed and works out what to display in response, even before you've hit enter. For instance, typing "play" may as well make a few suggestions as to what to type next, but also present a list of your favourite artists, so you can just click on one, or you can carry on typing. A lot of people's fear of the command line is the empty imposing box, with a cursor and nowhere to look for help. I think we just need to help users exploring the interface, and maybe rename some of those cryptic commands, too. It's a shame there's so little work in this field, really. (I posted this comment there, too, for the record.)