External hard drives

slowmadickayleigh said:

I'm very new to GoPro and I've only filmed a few hikes so far. I'm thinking about getting an external hard drive to edit on though because my laptop is not enjoying editing videos and it's so slow. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations about external hard drives? Is there anything I should be looking out for or avoiding?
If it matters, my laptop is a MacBook Air about 6 or 7 years old and my GoPro is a Hero 11. I will probably be updating the laptop in the next year or so but I can't really afford to replace it now so I'm hoping to use the hard drive to bridge the gap. I intend to put my videos on Youtube, so I don't think I really want to be storing copies of videos I've made but I do want to be able to edit without all of the delays.

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1. Capacity: Make sure the hard drive has enough storage capacity for your needs. Video files can take up a lot of space, so it's best to err on the side of too much storage rather than too little.
2. Speed: Look for a hard drive with fast read and write speeds. This will help ensure smooth playback and editing of your video files. Consider getting a solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), as SSDs are generally faster.
3. Compatibility: Make sure the hard drive is compatible with your computer and editing software. Since you have a MacBook Air, you'll likely need a hard drive with a Thunderbolt or USB-C connection.
4. Brand and reliability: Consider purchasing a hard drive from a reputable brand with a good track record for reliability. This will help ensure that your files are safe and won't be lost due to hard drive failure.