Formatting External Drive..Not just for Aperture

I believe that many people seeking the proper method for formatting an external drive for use with both Mac and Windows might be a bit apprehensive over the title of this Help article. Why are you so specific that this procedure applies to Aperture? I use external HDs to store all of my images and documents. My iMac 24 HD holds only my applications and system files. I use CCC Carbon Copy Cloner to backup these external drives with like capacity drives (4TB) therefore I'm introducing new external drives about every other year. I don't want the HD manufacturer's software programs backing up my data so I want these new drives wiped clean for starters. Are these instructions found in the Help article (the topic of my question) unique to Aperture or will they work for what I need?