Been capturing/ingesting HDV tape via Firewire successfully to desktop, then transfer to laptop for editing. I wondered today if I could capture direct to an external drive via usb, then move external drive to laptop for editing. I assume the drive would need to be minimum 7200rpm, but will usb 2.0 be able to handle the flow?

I prefer capturing to desktop which keeps laptop free during 4-6 hours of capturing. I then like the laptop for mobility and am not handcuffed to desk with pc.

I used to capture HDV tapes to a 7200 rpm external usb 2.0 drive. Of course, it was the opposite of your workflow. I was capturing the tapes to the firewire port in my laptop in the hotel room after shoots with the external drive connected to a usb 2.0 port. Then I moved the files to my desktop for editing when I got home.

I've also captured short segments to slower 5400 usb 2.0 drives. Don't know how well that would work for full tapes.

Darryn,
I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying you want to capture DIRECTLY from the camera or deck to the external drive so it can be moved to either the desktop or laptop OR are you asking if you capture using the laptop to an external drive can you hook it up to the desktop for later edit?

If the former, no you can't do that. If you're asking the latter, then yes, by all means you can do that. Just install the driver of the HDD to both the laptop and the desktop and you should be fine.
USB 2 should be able to handle the transfer although USB 3 would be better but I have done it using USB 2.

Thanks Don, Yes, I would like to connect HDD to desktop and capture to the HDD. Once finished, I can disconnect HDD from desktop, connect to laptop, end edit. I figure the HDD would probably need to be 7200 rpms, and was hoping the other pros would say "Yes, no problem at all" :)

Neither of these 2 machines has USB 3

That shouldn't be a problem at all. When I am on location in a fixed position, I send live video from my camera via firewire to my laptop. Using Sony Vegas I can open the capture window and capture directly to an external usb drive. Then I take the footage and transfer it into my desktop system for editing. So capturing through your NLE at your desktop to the external drive is the same thing. Just make sure you don't have a lot of background processes going on.