-bash-3.00# now=date
-bash-3.00# echo now
now
-bash-3.00# echo $now
date
-bash-3.00# date=now
-bash-3.00# echo date
date
-bash-3.00# echo $date
now
-bash-3.00# now
-bash: now: command not found
-bash-3.00# date
Thu Feb  9 13:22:16 WET 2006
-bash-3.00# $now
Thu Feb  9 13:23:19 WET 2006
-bash-3.00# $date
-bash: now: command not found
-bash-3.00# now=$(date)
-bash-3.00# echo $now
Thu Feb 9 13:24:13 WET 2006
-bash-3.00# echo $now
Thu Feb 9 13:24:13 WET 2006
-bash-3.00# $now
-bash: Thu: command not found

  339  now=date
  340  echo now
  341  echo $now
  342  date=now
  343  echo date
  344  echo $date
  345  now
  346  date
  347  $now
  348  $date
  349  now=$(date)
  350  echo $now
  351  echo $now
  352  $now