i hate computers

no, i don't. i like them. i'm a bit of a tech geek, actually. not enough of one to put together and program computers on my own, but enough to know how to operate my system pretty well. a low level power-user, i suppose.

but the edit systems are driving me crazy. we're editing the film on final cut pro, which i love. the editor, a heavily tech-savvy student, is shuttling back and forth between the department's HD edit suite, which isn't always available, and a borrowed powerbook, using a 200 GB external drive to carry the foootage and the cut.

but the external drive keeps losing its connection with the various computers on which he's editing, so the footage won't show up, and the projects won't show up, and the drive asks to be reformatted (i.e., delete everything on it!).

so, the problem is likely solvable (is that a word?) -- but the need to solve it is creating problematic delays.