A Question of Interface Design: How Do Online Service GUIs Measure Up?
http://www.infotoday.com/online/MayOL97/head5.html

Head, Alison J.
InfoToday
1997

Abstract:

Online services have redesigned their old command-based software into graphical user interfaces for the same reason that fledgling stars get their noses fixed. GUIs, as these software versions are commonly called, are a natural choice of interface because they are user-friendly, colorful, window-based interfaces that rely on icons and natural language processing.