Help with some questions

[BaXeD]

Hi, I'm BaXeD, and i was considering getting a Chromebook sometime in the near future. However, i had a few questions regarding some applications and such
Firstly, on my pc, whenever i download something, it shows up at the bottom of my google chrome browser, but if its like an application, it will load in a new window. To my understanding, there are no new "windows" in google chrome per se...so how woudl it work? Like, if i downloaded a java ide that is its own application but is not web based....woudl it work?
Also, how would ipods work? I checked the webstore and there are no itunes applications, so does this means chromebooks are 100% incompatible with apple devices?
Another question: How many usb ports are on each chromebook model? Also, if i had a usb mouse and plugged it in, would it work?
Thanks so much! sorry for all the questions. Mods, if this topic should be in another subforum, i apologize, please move it to where it should be
-BaXeD

[res6jya6]

Hey BaXed - some good questions you've got there.

You asked about downloading in ChromeOS. I believe you specifically mentioned a Java Integrated Development Environment.
ChromeOS downloads files in the same way as Chrome... when you click the "Download" button, a small popup will appear in the lower right hand corner of the device and track the progress of the download. Once it's complete, it's available to you from the "Downloads" folder (More specifically, the file manager). Unfortunately, ChromeOS does not support the installation of programs. The only "Apps" available are those found in the Web Store (and all are 'web-apps'). So if you download any sort of executable, you can only copy it to a mass storage device and transfer it to a PC. Incidentally, there are web-based IDEs. Run a Google search, and I am sure you will find something.

iPods, and even Zune's and other multimedia devices have very limited functionality when plugged into the USB ports of a Chromebook. If your device has a "mass storage" function, then whatever was stored on the device would be visible from the file manager. However, there are no applications or web-apps available to manage your iPod library. Keep in mind that, since ChromeOS is open-source, the NTFS file system is not supported. (Has anyone tried plugging in an iPod? Maybe the file manager can see the iPod_Control folder where all of the music is stored?)

The two new Chromebook models, one from Samsung and one from Acer, have two USB 2.0 ports. These do support external devices such as mice, keyboards, and mass storage devices.

Any more questions, feel free to ask! Welcome to forum!

Edit: I deleted the other thread you started in the General ChromeOS section. I don't mean to speak for everyone here, but we only donate our time here on the forum and sometimes it may take a while to get a reply.