NEW DISK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE ---------------------------- Sysops rely on fast file transfers to keep their systems running smoothly. But you can't control the kind of modem that calls your system. If a caller wants to hog your system with a 1,200 bps modem, there's not much you can do. Aside from using V.32bis modems (the kind that work), what you can control is making available a fast hard drive and a system that can consistently deliver fast throughput. While Quadra SCSI throughput is tops, followed by the Mac II ci, there's not much more you can do short of opting for one of the NuBus SCSI II accelerator boards from MicroNet or FWB. One way to maximize hard disk performance short of these relatively expensive upgrades is to employ any number of software-based hard disk utilities that can increase your drive's throughput. A number of software publishers introduced new disk management software for the Macintosh during MacWorld. Insignia Solution announced RapidTrak, a disk formatting and management package that improves the performance of slower drives, such as magneto-optical or floptical drives. In addition, the company claims that RapidTrak can boost the performance of fixed and removable drives to that of high-capacity, high-speed drives. RapidTrak sets up a sort of a cache memory to improve the responsiveness of hard drives by using RAM memory to retrieve data instead of re-reading it from disk. Since RapidTrak does not modify the way that the SCSI hardware is accessed, it combines efficient SCSI data transfers and "smart caching" of frequently used data in RAM to minimize wait times. The smart cache has been tuned for specific applications such as word processing, desktop publishing, database access or file-serving functions such as BBS systems perform. Compatible with its own AccessPC and Apple's PC Exchange disk access utilities, RapidTrak is also compatible with drives from nearly every major vendor, allowing users to buy lower-priced drives and upgrade performance. RapidTrak also mounts cartridges formatted by other disk managers, providing a solution for service bureaus or other organizations that need access to diverse media formats. RapidTrak, which is slated to retail for just under $100, includes four components: RapidTrak, a control panel for adjusting the RAM used to speed access to hard disks and removable media; RT Formatter, an intelligent disk-formatting utility; RapidLock, a control panel for mounting, locking, and adding passwords to partitions; and PC DiskJockey, a control panel that enables Apple's PC Exchange software to work with magneto-optical, floptical, and cartridge drives. Disk Cafe, from Bering Industries, is a utility set that contains three modules that provide helpful tools to manage your hard drive(s). Cappuccino is an easy-to-use control panel device, system extension and SCSI disk drive that allows users to mount new drives without system restart, mount specific volumes, verify writes, display SCSI and Mac information, and vary a "read ahead" cache to optimize performance. The Disk Cafe module can format and verify hard disk and removable media, create a variety of partitions, adjust system defaults, and create user logs. The most advanced module, Kitchen, performs comprehensive tests for media and drive damage, control certain drive parameters, fast sector copying, perform security erase, modify boot partitions, and send direct SCSI commands. Central Point Software unveiled Safe & Sound, its hard disk utility package that can automatically identify and fix more than 100 of the most common hard disk problems. Aimed at the mass market of Macintosh consumers (and sysops) who are neither experienced or interested in understanding what can go wrong with computers, Safe & Sound will carry a retail price of just $49.95. If users have a problem, they can simply insert the Safe & Sound disk which automatically scans all volumes. When a problem is found, a dialog box offers an immediate fix. The explicit interface leaves no doubt as to the application's function, while a Progress Bar reflects status of analyses and repair. Additional checks are offered through an Options screen. Typical problems that are addressed by Safe & Sound include: start-up problems, missing files and folders, virus infection, and crashed hard and floppy disks. Finally, Dantz Development announced its Retrospect 2.0 and Retrospect Remote 2.0 backup software packages. Highlights include a new interface, improved performance, and support for new drives and tape autoloaders from Archive, Exabyte, GigaTrend, Tandberg, Teac, and ADIC. All functions are now split into five logical areas represented by icons. Scripting, folder selection, and reporting have also been improved. Additionally, many areas relating to performance or capacity have been improved as compression runs twice as fast and uses less RAM, catalogs may now be any size and are automatically compressed, and the previous limit of 4,000 folders has been eliminated. Pricing remains at $249 for Retrospect and $449 for the remote version. Owners of previous versions of Retrospect can upgrade for about $50 while Remote upgrades are available for $70. Insignia Solutions, 526 Clyde Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, (415) 694-7600 voice. Bering Industries, 246 East Hacienda Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008; (800) 237-4641 voice; (408) 364-2233 BBS. Central Point Software, 15220 NW Greenbrier Parkway, #200, Beaverton, OR 97006; (503) 690-8090 customer support. Dantz Development, 1400 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709;(510)849-0923 voice; AppleLink: DANTZ.