Microsoft confirms that Command Prompt is here to stay, but Windows Terminal and PowerShell offer more to power users

The existence of the Command Prompt as well as Windows Terminal has resulted in many people asking just when the latter will replace the former. In response to such queries, Microsoft has cleared things up -- Windows Terminal is not a replacement for Command Prompt... nor, for that matter, is PowerShell.

Command Prompt may be getting a little long in the tooth, but that's far from being a reason to kill it off. Indeed, Microsoft points to the fact that the aging tool has proved useful to AI developers in recent years.

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The age of artificial intelligence, it would seem, is cementing Command Prompt's future. Microsoft says that the beloved command-line interpreter remains popular because of its simplicity and familiarity. The company points out that many users have grown accustomed to its syntax and command structure, making it a comfortable tool for quick and straightforward tasks.

Command Prompt, based on the old CMD.exe, is often associated with batch scripting and system administration tasks. For AI entrepreneurs, the Command Prompt may not be their primary tool, but it remains an essential component of the Windows ecosystem. Legacy scripts and automation processes that rely on Command Prompt still play a role in various AI workflows.

But even though Microsoft points to the growth of AI as a reason for Command Prompt's continued popularity, the company also says that Windows terminal is a valuable tool for AI development:

Windows Terminal is an open-source terminal emulator that provides a modern and feature-rich interface for command-line enthusiasts. First released in 2019, it enables you host multiple command-line applications, including Command Prompt, PowerShell, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and work on different projects at the same time.

For startups and AI entrepreneurs for example, Windows Terminal's versatility becomes a valuable asset. They can easily switch between different environments to run Python scripts, execute commands within WSL for Linux-based AI tools, and utilize PowerShell for Windows-specific tasks. This unified interface simplifies the workflow, making it more efficient and productive.

The on-going popularity and inherent value of Command Prompt means that it is extraordinarily unlikely to disappear. But while Microsoft apparently felt the need to calm the fears of concerned users by saying this, the company goes on to muddy the waters by adding: "the fate of Command Prompt remains uncertain, the rise of modern command-line tools like PowerShell and Windows Terminal offers undeniable advantages for AI entrepreneurs".

Ultimately, Command Prompt, Windows Terminal and PowerShell are different, if complementary, tools that are likely to co-exist for some time to come.