OneGet can install applications from repositories, using any number of providers. The preview version comes with a version of Chocolatey [2] built in managed code (C#) instead of PowerShell, but it supports the same Chocolatey gallery (a repository of software packages) and protocol.

PowerShellGet [3] can install PowerShell modules (e.g. make new Cmdlets available on the PowerShell command line). The modules can be delivered as scripts or as compiled .NET assemblies. By default PowerShellGet is configured to use a (closed preview) repository [4], which makes it not very usable, but it's interesting to know what direction it is headed.

As a more practical alternative to PowerShellGet, have a look at PSGet [4], a PowerShell module for installing PowerShell modules, with its own dedicated repository. Hopefully Microsoft's PowerShellGet will support PSGet as a provider in the future as well, the names are certainly confusing.

Desired State Configuration (DSC) [6] is a new (Windows 8.1) capability to configure Windows using a declarative syntax extension of PowerShell v4. It can set registry keys, create files and directories, enable Windows Features, and more. DSC 'resources' are PowerShell modules, so DSC's capabilities can be extended, see this GitHub repository [5] for examples.

Alternatively, have a look at Boxstarter [7]. It can do installation and configuration, and you can host your 'starter script' online and launch it with a single command. Boxstarter will take care of all Windows restarts that might be necessary along the way.

[1]: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=4407...

[2]: https://chocolatey.org/

[3]: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/powershell/archive/2014/05/20/settin...

[4]: https://msconfiggallery.cloudapp.net/

[5]: http://psget.net/

[6]: https://github.com/powershellorg/dsc

[7]: http://blogs.technet.com/b/privatecloud/archive/2013/08/30/i...

[8]: http://boxstarter.org/

Be aware that, although most modern package solutions for Windows are using NuGet as a packaging format, using NuGet.exe directly (the application) and with nuget.org (the website) is meant for managing software development dependencies, not installing/updating end-user applications or command-line utilities.

  @powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy unrestricted -Command "iex ((new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))" && SET PATH=%PATH%;%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\chocolatey\bin

  # tools
  choco install dropbox
  choco install gow
  choco install googledrive

  # graphics
  choco install inkscape
  choco install colorpic
  choco install blender
  choco install gimp 

  # IDEs
  choco install eclipse
  choco install VisualStudio2012Professional

  # editors
  choco install atom
  choco install lighttable
  choco install ProgrammersNotepad

  # browsers
  choco install firefox
  choco install GoogleChrome

  # languages
  choco install jdk8
  choco install lein
  choco install groovy
  choco install python
  choco install ruby

  # build
  choco install ant
  choco install gradle
  choco install maven
  choco install puppet
  choco install wixtoolset

  # servers
  choco install nodejs.install
  choco install Tomcat

  # databases
  choco install mysql
  choco install mysql.workbench
  choco install toad.mysql


  # scm
  choco install git.install
  choco install TortoiseGit
  choco install GitHub
  choco install svn
  choco install tortoisesvn
  choco install ankhsvn

https://github.com/berdario/dotfiles/blob/master/deploy.py

On windows I'm forced to do some nasty tricks (i.e.: reloading the script with admin user, and if any exception happens I output the stacktrace on a tkinter textarea, since the terminal is not available anymore)

(to actually install software, I use chocolatey, but it's really hit and miss...)