IMO, The only useful LED wrt HDD status on the empeg would one that is one when one of the parititions is mounted RW so I'd know at a glance not to pull the power.

I couldn't care less about disk accesses otherwise - as long as everythings working correctly, who really gives a shit??? And if you suspect that there is a problem then the disk icon on the screen is going to be far more helpful than a disk access LED.

Don't take this pesonally, but I consider the whole concept of disk access LEDs outdated. Sure they may have performed some useful diagnostic function back in the dark ages, but now? PCs bios'es and OS'es tell you far more useful information. If they really do have to stay, can't they at least live in the case so we don't have to stare at them?