When you say "we" do you mean you are part of the Linux (Elementary OS) development? And yes no universal package installer is the biggest problem with opensource. Plus all the different distro's. Pantheon looks and acts a lot like gnome. Unless I got the wrong download. I been using Linux for years and it is all over the board like a jigsaw puzzle.
Well the main reason for not having something like .exe's in linux all goes down to not wanting binary blobs.
.exe really isnt the gold standard in app installation, even in windows its not the only installer format though it is the most common.
opensource however can go both ways, in many ways its a good thing no one is forcing everyone to use a certain format that only a select few can decode and compile.
Its both a blessing and a curse for linux yes but I say its more of a blessing, no one is forcing us to use silly standards that no one wants to work with.
If you are referring to this
http://elementaryos.org/ It is a Ubuntu-based desktop distribution that may have a pantheon spin. But I will investigate a little more it sounds good but I don't think its in house. Elementary OS is using it as the default DE as of luna. I'll bet it uses Ubuntu repository. I put dollars to donuts pantheon is in the Ubuntu repository. But it sound like Elementary OS is trying to go proprietary. I know there is a non community Linux distro out there some where.
No most of Elementary is in house developed with the exception of its repositories.
It uses a ubuntu base for convenience as a lot of apps aree in Ubuntu are tied into Ubuntus third party repositories.
But most of the apps in elementary are from the elementary team.
Only one or two apps dont have the hands of the elementary team in them.
As for Elementary becoming proprietary, nah I dont see it happening.
Its bound to the GPL.
If anything its Ubuntu that seems to be going that route.
In any case if you dont want a community based linux yes they exist.
There is Redhat SUSE and Mandriva, especially Mandriva who have cut all ties to the open source market.
Hey good distro for the people who hate competition and love isolationism
And when I say We I mean the royal we...
nah I mean the linux community.