Then I need to rightclick on the project name and choose Java 1.7, but it never remembers this setting. Any idea?

No idea, when I set the target runtime it sticks to whatever I set it to. IIRC, target runtime is stored in the Ant build script or some config file there, you might want to check that out. Are you sure your install isn't bugged somehow? I used Netbeans 8, SE release, although I'm on Debian, not Windows/OSX.

Well, I'm using build.xml and project.xml created by someone else. Netbeans is 8.0.2.
For compiling and running it uses the correct value from build.xml, but I found another setting in project.xml for the compatibility warnings generated by the editor. After changing it in netbeans project properties a "saving project" popup appears for a moment, but is not actually changing the value in the file.
I resorted to hand-editing the source-level tags in there from 1.5 to 1.7, but no luck, they must have forgotten to update something, as it then regards the project as invalid and in netbeans log file it shows a SAXParseError. I also tried 7 and 1.6 for the value, but they also dont work.

Ah cool, and I'm assuming they don't offer any kind of scripting environment or something to build extensions for them? (maybe core environment is C++ but everything built on top of it is Javascript or something for example).

I'm still searching for a free and better alternative to Notepad++ including binary reader and without crash for bad BOM/endl_char declaration....

...

I'm still using Notepad++ with HEX plug-in .-.

I'm still searching for a free and better alternative to Notepad++ including binary reader and without crash for bad BOM/endl_char declaration....

...

I'm still using Notepad++ with HEX plug-in .-.

Between Brackets, LightTable, Atom, and Vim, I have more than replaced Notepad++ myself (haven't used Vim yet, really into Brackets).

I doubt any big IDE is done in pure C++ (or any compiled language for that matter) anymore...

I wouldn't be so sure about that.

XCode is pretty much entirely written in Objective-C, which is very much a "compiled" language, and QTCreator is written in C++...

And don't MS still use C++ for VS, Office?

And don't MS still use C++ for VS, Office?

Parts, yes.

I have to investigate further, but I came across a post that mentions OmniSharp for cross platform .NET development using your own editor.

Vim, Brackets, Atom, and Sublime Text are supported.

http://www.omnisharp.net

Edit: While browsing info about Omnisharp, I stumbled across this plugin for Brackets that lets you dynamically edit the visual and code elements of a website at the same time.

I also have, since the initial OP, set up Node-Webkit for desktop applications.

So I am using Brackets as an Editor, and Node-Webkit to compile desktop applications. The flexibility of this workflow is awesome.