I've got an earlier version of that Freecom external hard drive that I used with a laptop to store films, videos, photos etc. It's really good, although the software that came with it made it really complicated to use - far easier to just plug in with the usb and let the auto-detect on pc find it.
400Gb is masses of storage space though - so if you only want to use it for photos then you might be better getting a 40 or 80Gb one for less than half the price. You can get some really neat slimline ones that fit in your pocket (or handbag) - I've seen some on ebay for around £30.
It's always worth storing your photos on an online storage site like Photobucket too - in the event of a disaster whereby you lost everything, they'd still be there online.
