Again you're talking completely different abstraction layers - unless you're saying that you can use a scripting language to use something like windows automati

Again you're talking completely different abstraction layers - unless you're saying that you can use a scripting language to use something like windows automation API to click GUI and stuff. My point is that Windows has a culture of black box monolithic apps with GUI focused (if not GUI exclusive) functionality exposing. Nothing stopping you from exposing stuff like commandlets for PS and composing them to build higher level systems - but people don't really do this - and they do in UNIX systems - things end up being more transparent. Nothing to do with any shell or anything really - more about UNIX philosophy of small focused apps composed together vs monolithic apps. When you're developing stuff UNIX approach is IMO way preferable.