From where I'm standing, C++ package management is already quite nicely solved by what we call package managers in the linux world. You know, portage, aptitude, etc.
I think what people want is something like go, where you add a single line to your code and it magically downloads and compiles the referenced library. C++ doesn't have anything like that (and I doubt it ever will to be honest).
Not like Go. It needs to solve versioning.
* It only works in Linux, not Windows or Mac OS X.
* You need additional work to have it work in more distributions
* Linux package file formats are not distribution neutral, there's no "package.json" which is understood by every package manager
I think C++ needs an OS neutral package management system.
In practice, this hasn't been a problem for my C++ projects for years, except on OS X where there have been too many changes in a couple of years (gcc -> gcc-llvm -> clang, libstdc++ -> libc++).
Trying to program C++ in windows is an horrible experience that I wont wish on my worst enemy.
Linux is nice, but it doesn't have after effects, support for the latest ultrabooks, photoshop ( sorry GIMP is a joke ).
Linux also contantly breaks whenever I tried using it, sound, video ?
Also gaming.
Anyway the browser environment is cool because it forced everyone to stick to a single standard.
( Also corporate uses windows, sadly. Working with tools created by major corporations in my industry is on windows )
As an amateur, I've found kdenlive and audacity provide decent video and audio editing on Linux. Professionals use Mac.
Typically installing Linux from scratch has involved less fiddling with drivers than installing windows from scratch on an empty laptop for a while now.
If you want a laptop with Linux support out of the box, you can pay for that and it will just work (e.g. http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/xps-13-linux/pd or http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/laptops.aspx?c=us&cs=04&l=...)
Gaming is a fair point, but even that might be changing with Valves efforts.
I use Windows, Mac and Linux each, they all have their advantages, but for serious software development Linux is ahead of MacOsX and both are way ahead of Windows.
Windows 8 has worked out of the box on every configuration I've tried, with the caveat that it installs non up to date drivers (e.g. High end graphics cards). My experience with Linux (Ubuntu 15.04) is that the little use peripherals I have don't work at all ( I've a Bluetooth usb adapter and a usb capture card that both are plug and play on windows vista onwards but I've yet to find working drivers on Linux for).
Here's the thing - if you can't make linux work for you at this point in time then you really have no business being in technology, at all.
I will give vagrant a try though.
Any comment making fun of windows always get upvoted even if its just anecdotal. My experience is also anecdotal and needs to be taken just a data point. Linux users seem to not be able to stomach any constructive criticism.
I tried using linux for a long time - the problem is life got in the way. I need to provide lab reports and do mathematics. Linux is a hassle for any non-programmer. Maybe when I get a decent laptop like DELL XPS that can run linux I will give it another try.
For now though I am having to stick to a single ultrabook for various reason and linux is not friendly to new-comers.
Just my experience.
You'd be surprised. I know labs publishing multiple high impact papers pretty much each year and then some more less high impact papers and they all use Word. Also PowerPoint for posters. Probably not the best tools for the job, but I see that often in research.