Chromebook is a fully functional Chrome installation with some other features in a low cost computing machine.
You can connect Chromebook to camera and copy data from the camera to your Chromebook.
Google actually has a dedicated app that automates the process of copying photos from your camera/phone to your Google+ account.
Chromebooks get automatic updates to newer Chrome OS builds in the background similar to how Chrome updates on your
Windows/OS X/Linux machines.
You can use web apps to code on Chrome OS. There are packages available that you can install on Chromebooks if you are coder:
dnschneid/crouton · GitHub
Google is developing a dedicated Chrome Web App IDE for developers
dart-lang/spark · GitHub . The idea is to code locally and run remotely.
Chromebooks are designed for simpler purposes. Most consumers today have simple needs. They need to check their emails, they need to chat with friends and family, they need to use Facebook. Chromebooks fit in that category perfectly.
It is not designed to replace your existing computer if you are a power user. And it does not replace your machine if you are a power user.
All Chromebooks have local storage that is needed for OS and apps and offline storage of data. 16GB is the minimum. Some have 32GB. Some even come with regular hard drives. You can of course also extend the storage by using the USB ports on the device.
People make a mistake when they compare Chromebooks as an alternative for their primary machine.
If you are a developer, designer or a power user... Chromebook cannot and would not replace your primary computer. Just like a
tablet would not replace it as well. But... If you are a casual user who mostly use the computer for Facebook and email and chat... A Chromebook is a much better alternative than a full blown Windows
laptop or a Tablet PC. There are no headaches of malware/spyware. No OS to maintain. No software to install. Little to no chance of data loss.