In any case, the problem with using an enormous (500 GB) external hard drive is the difficulty of making backups, which you must do to protect yourself against when (not if) the drive crashes. One way to reduce this risk with an external drive is to disconnect it when it is not in use, to reduce its usage hours and, thus, prolong its life.

An arguably better solution for creating a big external storage device is to build your own RAID-5 server. A RAID-5 server is a system in which data is spread across several hard drives in such a way that if one hard drive crashes, the data on that hard drive can be recreated using the data stored on the remaining drives. In other words, the system will not lose your data unless two hard drives happen to crash at the same time — something that is extremely unlikely. Building a RAID-5 server is relatively easy: obtain an older desktop computer, install a RAID drive controller card in it, then install several smaller, cheaper hard drives, then use the software that comes with the RAID controller to configure the drives in a RAID configuration. Such a device should still be backed up occasionally, but has almost zero chance of losing your data. Yes, it will cost more than a big external drive and it will not be nearly as portable, but it will require less frequent backups and will be much less likely to ruin your data.

I am a documentary videographer. If I had to shoot, develop and edit film for my documentaries, I simply wouldn’t be in the business. It’s way too expensive and too difficult. The computer has enabled me to pursue a career that I might otherwise have had to pass up. I try to remember that when my computer crashes during a particularly complex project. Instead of cursing, I try to be thankful for how far I had gotten before the crash, make a cup of coffee, and start again.