Final Cut Producer recently posted suggestions for using Final Cut Pro on a laptop using external hard drives for storing media. I thought it was worth saving and throwing back a comment or two.
USB hard drives (version 1.x and 2.x) cannot be powered by the USB bus – there isn’t enough power pushed down the cable. You must use the device’s A/C adapter.
In contrast, many FireWire hard drives can be used without an A/C adapter because the FireWire specification includes sending power down the cable. This is handy for making backups, storing your iTunes library, etc. but I’d stick with A/C powered drives for video editing or any other serious work.
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