SoftRAID (http://www.softraid.com) has released SoftRAID 4.0.2, an update to its RAID product for Mac OS X. The upgrade includes several additions to the 4.0 feature set.

For instance, 4.0.2 has specific support for Advanced Format disks. These are the latest generation of disk drives that have larger sectors (1, 2 or 4 kbytes). By using these larger sector sizes, disk drive manufacturers can increase the number of gigabytes per platter and offer greater error correction. SoftRAID version 4.0.2 is the first software RAID package on Mac OS X that correctly supports these drives, says Tim Standing, president, SoftRAID, LLC.

SoftRAID version 4.0.2 also includes better support for SSD drives, adds a feature to create read-only volumes, and improvements to the email notification features in SoftRAID. It includes online help, so that users can be guided on each feature as they use SoftRAID.

SoftRAID 4.0.2 also includes performance enhancements for SSD drives and several enhancements in the command line interface. It requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher.

SoftRAID version 4.0.2 is available as a fully functional demo that allows prospective customers to try SoftRAID for 30 days. Registration is US$129. Customers who purchased SoftRAID after Jan. 1, 2009, qualify for a free upgrade to 4.0.2. The upgrade cost for registered owners of SoftRAID 3 is $69.