I know they were slow in the tablet, but they were also slow on my desktop. I don't consider the *fiddle sites to be online IDEs, they are more for testing scripts to me.

The online IDEs I was referring to are places like cloud9, Ideone, etc... where they try to give you that full IDE through a browser. This would be for languages such as C++.

I use the *fiddle sites a lot actually, and my professors always used them in classes. I think those are great, but they won't replace a local IDE for me.

I tried a few of them when I couldn't use the portable versions of my programs, such as when I was on a tablet (Surface RT, Moto Xoom). IMO They were just too slow for what I wanted.

But on the desktop, I can't NOT use a local program, it makes no sense unless you are doing something very specific.

I always liked ruby, but it really isn't like any other language. If I had to compare it to one, it would maybe be closest to javascript? It really isn't, but that is all I can think of at the moment.

C++ is the more important one here, it will teach you the basics that are extremely important and will lead you into other OO languages (with a deep understanding of objects).

The big bucks are in corporate code, which is C++, Java, and now C# (more so the latter 2). If you know (as in understand) C++, then the other languages you can more or less just pick up on as you go.

My advice would be to concentrate on understanding C++ so that you won't struggle when trying to pick up other languages. Your CS courses will likely be a lot of theory, but it is important. There will be mundane C++ homework, but it will be important. They are trying to teach you not just how to be a developer, but a good one (at my uni anyway).

That being said, ruby is a fun language to play around with, and is pretty powerful with rails.

You may have learned the basics, but it is what you learn next that will help you with every other language out there. As another user mentioned, the STL is amazing. Learn how to connect your C++ source to a GUI. If you dig deeper with C++, other languages will just essentially be learning the syntax (and arguably an easier way to do some things).

I went from C++ into Java, C#, JavaScript, Ruby, and a few others, but the only one that really caught my attention was C#. It is enough like Java that you can learn one and be pretty close on the other (except LINQ with C#, it is amazing).

But it is very important to dig as deep as you can with C++ so that you won't have to necessarily learn other languages, you will just pick them up rather easily.

Not sure I could give up Visual Studio, nothing compares IMO.

It looks like the online IDE's are mostly for web coding, although some also do some C++ and the like. Not sure how I like having my code stored on their servers, especially if it is not OSS. I think I will stick to github for online code management.

C# so much. It is the most elegant language I have used. We learned C++ in school, and I opted to learn C# for my mobile apps programming class, and I haven't looked back. It is almost a pleasure to code in.

Not to mention LINQ, which is amazing.

In my honest opinion, I haven't really cared for any of them. In almost every case, I would rather use local offerings, simply because I do not always code when I can be online.

Depending on the device, it may or may not work with your browser well either (looking at you Surface RT).

I am interested in hearing others opinions on this subject, as I have been looking around for a good quality online IDE as well, if for nothing else just to use occasionally.