Time limited error recovery (TLER) disks in desktop computers

In common with some others I have for many years bought server grade hard disks for both servers and desktops. The price difference between these high reliability disks and those sold for desktops is now negligible. As an engineer I appreciate the higher MTBF and longer guarantee period of these server disks. Unfortunately, and also in common with some others, I missed some critical small print during a recent purchase of 120 GB WD raid quality disks which I use in G4s. The WD site at:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wdc.cfg/php/enduser/stdadp.php?p_faqid=1277&pcreated=1095792241

says:

"IMPORTANT: Because of the time-limited error recovery feature, this product is intended for server applications and is not recommended for use in desktop systems."

Further investigation reveals that the implication of such advice from manufacturers is that TLER disks are not compatible with soft RAID which includes the basic Xserve and many other servers which do not have a proper hard RAID controller. As far as I am aware most SATA controllers on the market only implement soft RAID.

There are many web pages about TLER but I am still lacking some critical information:

1 - On disks where TLER is enabled by default, is it still active even when not able to communicate with a hard RAID controller?

2 - Is there an OS X utility to disable TLER on the WD 120 GB disk above? - WD often deny the existence of such utilities even though they have shipped a PC version to a few customers.

3 - Given that these disks are so much more reliable than their desktop equivalents is there any quantitative data indicating which would be more reliable in a practical desktop environment? - ie long term desktop trials of the above type of disk with TLER enabled compared with its desktop equivalent.

Please copy any reply to n.hillyer@open.ac.uk

Thanks

Neville Hillyer