Microsoft's modern terminal didn’t just replace an ugly old console window — for many power users it has rewritten the way they work on Windows, turning a handful of command-line utilities into true time-savers that change daily workflows. The How‑To Geek piece makes a persuasive case: five practical tools —
winget,
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) (including GUI support), the
Windows Terminal command palette, compact
terminal-only web utilities, and simple shell file operations (mv/robocopy) — are enough to convince someone to leave Explorer‑first habits behind and
use the Terminal as a default work surface. That claim is rooted in real engineering and ergonomics, and it’s worth unpacking: what these tools do, why they matter, what the measurable benefits are, and where cautions and trade‑offs still apply.
Background / Overview
Windows long lagged behind Unix-like systems when it came to integrated, keyboard-first power tools: installers were manual, package management was scattered, and the native console hosts were limited. Over the last half‑decade Microsoft has deliberately borrowed from the Linux/Unix playbook: a first‑class package manager (winget), a modern terminal host (Windows Terminal), and a robust integration layer (WSL + WSLg) that lets Linux tooling run comfortably on Windows. The result is a user experience that rewards short, deterministic commands and scripts over repetitive GUI clicks — exactly the productivity model seasoned Linux users expect. Microsoft documents confirm winget’s role and distribution model, and Microsoft’s WSL pages document the now‑native GUI support that makes many Linux apps feel “just part of Windows.” These shifts are significant for three kinds of users:
- Developers and sysadmins who already think in pipelines and shell scripts.
- Power users who want deterministic, reproducible installs and one‑line maintenance.
- Anyone who regularly manages lots of files or runs cross‑platform CLI tools.
Below I summarize each of the five tools from the How‑To Geek article, verify the core claims, and provide deeper analysis and actionable guidance.
1. Winget: turning Windows installs into one‑liner automation
What the tool is and why it matters
The Windows Package Manager (winget) exposes a command‑line interface for discovering, installing, upgrading, and removing apps. Instead of browsing the web, hunting for an installer, and clicking through a wizard, you run one command and let the system download, verify, and run the installer. That improves speed, repeatability, and — when used carefully — security. Microsoft’s documentation describes winget as the client interface to the Windows Package Manager service and explains that it ships with modern Windows via the App Installer.
- Example commands the article highlights:
- Install: winget install "Mozilla Firefox"
- Uninstall: winget uninstall "Mozilla Firefox"
- Upgrade: winget upgrade "Mozilla Firefox"
Verified facts and current reality
- Winget ships as part of the App Installer on recent Windows 10 and Windows 11 builds and is available through the Microsoft Store or GitHub releases; it’s supported on Windows 10 version 1809+ and on modern Windows 11 builds. Microsoft’s docs and the Windows Command Line blog both make this clear.
- The community repository on GitHub (microsoft/winget‑pkgs) is the canonical public manifest source; it’s actively maintained and accepts community contributions.
Strengths
- Reproducibility: export/import flows let you create a machine baseline (winget export / winget import).
- Speed: one line installs beat the download + wizard dance.
- Scriptability: easy to include in provisioning scripts, image builds, or configuration management.
Risks and caveats
- Repository coverage varies. The number of available manifests grows over time and can be measured differently (community repo vs Store sources). Public reporting of exact package counts fluctuates; the “over 10,000 packages” figure you’ll see cited in some writeups is plausible for the broader Windows package ecosystem but can vary by source and by what you count as a packaged app (Store manifests, community manifests, private sources). Treat exact counts as a moving target and verify locally if the raw number matters for you.
- Installer behavior differs. Some installers are not fully silent or require extra flags; winget calls the installer described by a manifest, but the manifest depends on correct silent arguments and correct hashes. Always check manifests and test in a staging environment when you’re automating bulk installs.
- Permissions and policy. Many winget operations require admin privileges; corporate policy and endpoint management systems (Intune, group policy) will affect winget’s behavior.
Practical tips
- Use exact IDs in automation: winget install --id <package-id> --exact.
- For provisioning, export a machine’s app list: winget export -o apps.json; import on a new PC with winget import -i apps.json.
- Add --accept-source-agreements and --accept-package-agreements to avoid interactive prompts in unattended scripts.
2. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) and WSLg: Linux tooling, inside Windows
What changed
WSL brought real Linux runtime to Windows; WSL2 introduced a lightweight VM/kernel with high performance, and WSLg added integrated
GUI support so Linux graphical apps (X11/Wayland) can run as native Windows windows with taskbar integration. That makes Linux-only utilities and GUI apps directly usable from the Terminal and Start menu. Microsoft documents the WSL GUI story and provides the commands (
wsl --install,
wsl --update) to get started.
Why this is a time‑saver
- You can keep project sources in the Linux filesystem for native performance, run Linux CLI tools (tar, rsync, apt, native builds), and launch GUI Linux utilities when needed — all without dual‑boot or heavyweight VMs.
- WSL’s near‑native performance for many developer tasks reduces friction for cross‑platform workflows.
Verification and nuance
- WSLg is documented as part of WSL and requires WSL2. It uses a managed helper distro that provides Wayland/X11 and audio plumbing. Microsoft has published technical posts explaining the architecture and how to enable GUI apps.
- WSL works very well for interactive and many build workflows, but it is not a replacement for a production Linux server on I/O‑heavy workloads; there are legitimate scenarios where a dedicated Linux host still wins. Recent guidance recommends putting active project code inside the WSL distro for best performance.
Security considerations
- Treat WSL as part of your attack surface: keep distros updated, use strong Linux passwords, and avoid running leaked/untested third‑party software without vetting.
- Be mindful when sharing Windows drives with WSL; avoid keeping secrets in accessible plain text on shared paths.
3. Command palette and keyboard‑first Terminal ergonomics
The feature
Windows Terminal includes a
command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) that surfaces actions, settings, and commands in a searchable overlay, enabling near‑complete keyboard control for tasks like creating split panes, changing color schemes, or spawning new profiles. How‑To Geek praises the command palette for enabling a keyboard-first workflow that drives fluency.
Why it matters
- Keyboard workflows cut context switching: fewer mouse trips, faster repeatable actions, and better muscle memory for routine steps.
- The Terminal’s built‑in palette plus customizable keybindings make short sequences of actions a few keystrokes away.
Advanced ergonomics
- Use profiles and keybindings to create task‑specific shells (for example, a PowerShell admin profile and a WSL Ubuntu profile).
- Save standard layouts (split panes) and spawn them with a short command or script to create consistent workspaces.
4. Terminal commands that replace light web apps
The idea
Many small tasks that used to require opening a browser tab and a web service — weather checks, speed tests, conversions, video downloads — can be done faster from the Terminal. Examples from the article:
- Weather: curl wttr.in
- Speed test: speedtest (via speedtest‑cli)
- Video download: yt-dlp
The Terminal becomes a “fast toolbelt” for short networked operations.
Verification and reality checks
- These commands are widely used by sysadmins and power users and often provide results faster than GUI sites when you value raw info speed. Community guides and docs demonstrate common utilities (curl, speedtest‑cli, yt‑dlp). Practical repositories and examples validate the approach, but you must install the CLI utilities first (winget, pip, or distro package manager).
Security and policy notes
- Tools like yt‑dlp enable downloading media — that’s legal in many contexts but carries copyright considerations. Use responsibly.
- Executing networked CLI utilities relies on network trust; inspect scripts and binaries before running.
5. Faster file copying and moving (mv, robocopy, tar) — anecdote vs measurable truth
The claim
The How‑To Geek author reports moving a 10GB folder in about one minute with the terminal ‘mv’ command versus ~1m45s in Explorer — roughly “twice as fast.” That matches many anecdotal user reports: command‑line copying or specialized tools (robocopy, rsync, tar inside WSL) often beat File Explorer on common workloads, especially when transferring many small files.
Why command‑line can be faster
- GUI file managers often run single‑threaded operations with progress UI overhead and extra metadata checks.
- Linux filesystems (ext4 etc. and Linux copy tools are optimized for batch metadata operations; WSL can leverage efficient VHD semantics when moving files within the same filesystem.
- On Windows, robocopy is a battle‑tested, threaded copy utility that outperforms Explorer in many circumstances.
What the evidence says
- There are many community and blog posts documenting faster performance when using CLI tools or moving files inside WSL; these are consistent but not universally quantified. Benchmarks depend on hardware, filesystem types, same‑drive vs cross‑drive moves, antivirus scans, cloud sync agents, and other system activity. The observed “twice as fast” figure is plausible for some configurations but cannot be assumed universally; it should be considered an anecdotal benchmark that invites testing on your hardware.
How to test it yourself
- Pick a representative folder with many small files and a large file.
- Time Explorer move: use a stopwatch while dragging between drives.
- Time a CLI move: open Windows Terminal and run:
- For WSL/native move within a mounted volume: mv /mnt/c/path/source /mnt/c/path/dest (inside WSL).
- For Windows native tools: robocopy C:\source D:\dest /MIR /MT:16
- Compare wall‑clock time and repeat the test with real‑world load.
Cross‑checking the big claims (verification summary)
- Winget is a shipped component (App Installer) on modern Windows and is intended as the Windows package manager; Microsoft documents and blog posts corroborate its existence and workflows.
- WSL supports GUI apps (WSLg) and has a maintained GitHub project and Microsoft documentation describing the architecture and how to enable GUI apps.
- Windows Terminal became the default terminal host on Windows 11 22H2 (the 2022 Update), with Microsoft announcing the change on the Windows Command Line blog; this validates the article’s statement that Terminal is now a first‑class system feature.
- The claim that command‑line file moves are “faster” is supported by community experience and multiple how‑tos, but the precise performance multiplier depends on workload and system configuration; treat the specific “twice as fast” number as anecdotal unless you run controlled benchmarks yourself.
Critical analysis — strengths, adoption barriers, and risk management
Strengths (what really matters)
- Reproducibility and automation: winget and Terminal scripts let users convert ad‑hoc GUI tasks into deterministic commands that can be versioned and re‑run. That’s a huge gain for time and reliability.
- Unified workflow: Windows Terminal consolidates multiple shells into tabs and panes, reducing context switching and saving time for multi‑task workflows.
- Cross‑platform tooling without leaving Windows: WSL + WSLg gives you Linux CLI and GUI tools with minimal friction — excellent for development and certain utility workflows.
- Keyboard efficiency: command palettes and keybindings reward muscle memory, making many routine tasks measurably faster once learned.
Adoption barriers
- Muscle memory and learning curve: users must invest time to learn commands and keybindings; the upfront cost deters casual users.
- Enterprise policy and admin rights: many organizations restrict package installs and shell access; winget may be limited in managed environments.
- Edge cases and fragile manifests: community manifests are not uniform; some packages require troubleshooting (wrong or outdated silent install flags, bad hashes).
Security and governance
- Supply‑chain caution: automated installs increase risk if manifests point to compromised resources. When you automate, prefer manifests and sources you can audit (or maintain a private repository).
- Privilege separation: minimize running daily workflows as Administrator. Use standard user sessions and only elevate when necessary.
- WSL hardening: treat WSL as another host you must keep patched. Don’t assume Windows’ update cadence covers distro packages inside WSL.
Practical checklist: adopting a Terminal‑first workflow safely
- Update Windows and the Microsoft Store (ensures App Installer/winget and Windows Terminal are current).
- Install Windows Terminal (if not already) and set it as the default shell host through Settings → Privacy & security → For developers or Terminal’s Startup settings.
- Enable WSL with wsl --install and, if you need GUI apps, run wsl --update to get the latest WSLg bits.
- Explore winget commands:
- winget search <name>
- winget install --id <package-id> --exact
- winget export -o apps.json; winget import -i apps.json
- Try a couple of command‑line utilities that replace light web tasks:
- curl wttr.in (weather)
- pip install speedtest-cli; speedtest-cli (network speed)
- winget install --id yt-dlp.yt-dlp (video download tool)
- For large or many‑file moves, use robocopy (Windows) or mv/rsync inside WSL and measure before you commit.
- Harden: maintain a manifest audit list, avoid running untrusted binaries, and follow least privilege principles.
Where the unexplained or unverifiable claims need caution
- Exact package counts for winget/community repositories are in flux. Public claims such as “over 10,000 packages” are plausible depending on what you count (community manifests + store entries + third‑party sources), but the number changes rapidly and is not a meaningful single metric of quality. Verify current counts against the winget community repo or use winget search locally to judge coverage for your needed apps.
- Performance multipliers ("twice as fast") for file moves depend heavily on hardware, drive types, antivirus, and whether the operation is a metadata rename vs copy across volumes. Treat user anecdotes as a starting point for your own benchmarks.
The larger picture: what this shift means for Windows users
Bringing package management, a modern terminal host, and a Linux compatibility layer into first‑class Windows experience is more than a convenience — it changes the mental model of how Windows power users work. A single command becomes the unit of reproducible work, and the desktop moves from a point‑and‑click surface into a programmable workbench. That reduces brittle, manual steps and fosters auditable, automatable setups that make system provisioning, scripting, and day‑to‑day maintenance dramatically more efficient.
For organizations, this trend nudges IT toward reproducible images and scripted device configuration. For individuals, it rewards a modest upfront investment in learning a handful of commands that repay effort daily.
Final verdict and practical callouts
- The five time‑savers the How‑To Geek author highlights are real, practical, and in many real‑world workflows will deliver measurable time savings: winget for installs, WSL/WSLg for Linux tools, Windows Terminal (command palette and panes) for ergonomics, CLI web utilities for one‑off info tasks, and CLI file operations for heavy file work.
- Microsoft’s documentation and developer blogs corroborate the direction: winget is the supported package manager, WSL supports GUI apps via WSLg, and Windows Terminal is the modern default terminal host on Windows 11 22H2.
- Practical adoption requires attention to security, testing of manifests and installers, awareness of admin/policy constraints, and a willingness to measure performance on your hardware before assuming universal gains.
Windows Terminal and the surrounding ecosystem have finally made the command line a first‑class productivity surface on Windows. For many users — especially those who script, provision, or repeatedly perform similar tasks — the time saved by moving from click‑driven steps to one‑liner workflows pays back quickly. The costs are learning and governance; the rewards are speed, reproducibility, and control. The path from “I avoid the command line” to “I rely on the terminal” is easier than it has been in a decade; try the five tools above in a controlled way, measure outcomes on your machine, and adopt the pieces that consistently save you time.
Source: How-To Geek
These 5 time-saving tools convinced me to use Windows 11's terminal