Oooh, Microsoft Bob.  A toy interface on top of a bland interface on top of DOS on top of a HAL on top of a BIOS on top of hardware - that was brilliant! ;P

What computer engineers seem to miss is that although interface abstraction is a great ideal, it is not practical - you don't see many 3D OS interfaces do you?  If you are going to do it, you have to design the system from the ground up for optimal performance - and I'm pretty certain that's not how MS did it.  Plus, it's nice to be able to 'open windows' into the guts of the system when necessary.  Iirc, Bob abstracted to the point of frustration without many windows to open...

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, you blow your whole leg off.

 -- Bjarne Stroustrup

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