I always recommend an external HD...as a BACKUP. Not a primary HD. All those pics and vids of your family? Gone. No one prints pictures anymore unless they have to, or computer phobic. At a minimum, invest in some cheaper SD/USB cards/sticks for backup purposed. If you're not backing up your data, then don't cry when your HD fails and you lose everything. It's not a matter of 'if', it's 'when'.