Terminals are too low fidelity, they say, so the web is a better platform for developer tools. I get the argument. But why then do I still prefer terminals for 80% of the work?

I think it's the constraints:

Terminals...

• have very limited space. You have to be diligent in showing just the essential info.

• are limited to (more or less) one-size plain monospaced text with a small color palette. Same benefit as above. No surprises.

• are keyboard-driven first. Modern terms and tools support mouse as well but usually as a bonus, not a requirement.

• are usually highly configurable and personalized. I pick the font, the colors, configure the tools, configure the hotkeys, etc.

• are power tools the same way a chainsaw is a power tool. Use it correctly, you can cut down any tree. Use it incorrectly, you can cut down your legs.

• are close to the ground. All the benefits of the "Unix philosophy" ring true still. Small, composable tools that do one thing and one thing well can pipe into and from each other, write to files, read from them, install packages, so on. Most tools weight stability over usability – but for an agent that has bash in its core training, that IS usability.