However, after a few years of using both, my conclusion is that PowerShell isn't a better shell. It is programatically superior (for scripting) but inferior as a CLI language. And your examples are one of the reasons why.

"Do one thing and do it well" is about the goal of the tool, not about its features. With all its options, `ls` is still just about listing directory contents.

And that motto is still just a guideline, not an absolute rule. What makes the *nix shell great is that it follows that motto enough to be sensible and structured, but not enough that it becomes a burden. Just like a human language does.