I still remember the time – not too long ago – when installing Wordpress equals to fiddling with FTP client, scribbling PHP scripts, meddling with MySQL databases and doing all those ghastly geeky things which are not for the faint hearted. But even with all of the past fuss, Wordpress was (and still is) the ultimate blogging platform for everyday folks like us. Today, almost every part of the installation has gone from manual to automatic. With the help of the installer script that basically does a Wordpress auto install, you can have Wordpress up and running with just one click. Most web hosting services have included at least one script in their cPanel. The most popular two are Fantastico and Elefante. http://karangoel.in/2009/10/05/wordpress-auto-install-made-easy-by-simplescripts/
My web host uses Softaculous which is almost the same as SimpleScript & Fantastico. I love these softwares because I can upgrade or install just by 1 click, it saves my time, a lot!
We have removed all of the auto installers out of our servers. Many times they're using out of date versions that are unsecure, even if they're updated every day. Instead we manage, install and update everything for our clients ourselves via svn. We include security updates, additional features, themes, plugins, modules, and the like. This way we know our clients are secure and safe.