Food for thought: Start -> Run in Windows is just like a command line, except with less power and no output. People use it all the time and Microsoft considers it important to the point that it is even mapped to a hotkey. (Start + R I believe).

As for ease of use... Here is my fairly sizable one-sided muttering on the topic:
http://dylanmccall.blogspot.com/2008...k-of-user.html