Does EFI (or the firmware) support hard disk passwords?

hi,
i'm contemplating buying a hard drive out of the new travelstar 5k250 series by hitachi. those drive support what they call "bulk data encryption", which basically is a hardware encryption layer for the whole drive. apparently it is activated by setting an ATA hard disk password. what i'd like to know is if this -- and of course also pre-boot-authentication against such a password -- is supported by the current macbook pro firmware or EFI?
as i got stuck googling for an answer, any information about this would be greatly appreciated!
cheers,
andi
Macbook Pro 1,1 (Core Duo, 2GHz, 15")   Mac OS X (10.4.10)   Boot ROM Version: MBP11.0055.B08

I would try resetting your NVRAM and PRAM, as per this docucument.
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.
You should be able to startup normally after this, as well as use your install disc to reinstall the entire OS if you wish.
Mulder
iMac G4 700Mhz   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

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