TechTool Protogo is a compounding of two useful and effective disk tools : TechTool Pro 4 , a general hardware and platter sustentation , optimisation , and data retrieval program , and DiskStudio , a disc creature that can split your phonograph record into several partition on - the - fly front without erasing your data . TechTool Protogo is design to run either from the bootable videodisk the programs are send on , or , more interestingly , from an iPod or other extraneous driving . This lets you use an previous or current iPod as a record resort toolkit . you’re able to set up these tools , as well as other usefulness , on an sometime iPod , and link up it to any Mac , boot off the iPod to get at the peter . With a current iPod , you could add the tools in the same way , but continue to synchronize your medicine , film , and photos to the iPod . ( TechTool Protogo is a more pliable version of TechTool Protege ( ) , which furnish the same functionality on a flare retentiveness FireWire quarter round crusade . )
This platform is quite various . It allows you to establish its own peculiar , stripped - down bootable operating system on an iPod or other disk so you may lead off up a Mac from that external gadget , but it also offers other alternative : you may install a Universal variation of the operating system , so you may work on both Intel and PowerPC macintosh ; you may install a full transcript of your operating arrangement , together with TechTool and Disk Studio ; you may install a version that will boot on both OS X and OS 9 Macs ; or you may make custom initiation using not only Micromat ’s utilities , but also other programs you have on your Mac . By nonpayment , TechTool Protogo installs Console , Disk Utility , System Profiler , and Terminal , but you may want to tot up your preferred text editor or disk repair tool . you could configure your own custom profile with exactly the tools you need . If you design to apply your iPod or outside disk on both PowerPC and Intel Macs , make certain you perform the installation from a PowerPC Mac : while TechTool Protogo is Universal , some of the additional tools you may want to install wo n’t be if you ’re simulate them from an Intel Mac .
induction is unsubdivided . The programme ’s installer adds its particular operating system and utilities , but you may go on to put euphony on the iPod . To reboot from an iPod or other international gimmick , just connect the gadget , hold down the option key at inauguration , and choose it as the boot twist . After inauguration , a Micromat Launcher windowpane appears , allowing you to unravel any of the utilities you have installed . ( Note that USB devices can only be used to boot Intel Macs ; if you have a PowerPC Mac , you ’ll require an iPod with a FireWire cable . )
There are a few minor issues with consort TechTool Pro from an outside disk . When you test volumes , the iPod ( or other external boot disk ) is include in the tests unless you manually deselect it ; this makes the outgrowth a bit longer than necessary . Also , if repair are required after running some tests , there is no Repair button that lets you make these mend speedily ; you have to operate the examination again after assure a Repair On box seat .
Both TechTool Pro and DiskStudio are excellent tools , offer a all-inclusive range of maintenance , repair , recovery , optimisation , and formatting feature , but the extra benefit with TechTool Protogo is the ability to correct up a bootable iPod or external disk for criminal maintenance and post it in your pocket . Since the installation does n’t take up much space ( 1.18 GB for a Universal installation ) , you could use it on an iPod nano or an old iPod mini . Even if you have an onetime iPod with a dead battery , you may use it for this aim , as long as it is connected to a Mac that render power ( either via FireWire or a powered USB port wine ) .
Macworld’s buying advice
With TechTool Protogo and an iPod , you ’ve get an excellent , versatile tool for maintaining any number of Macs . This programme is perfect for people who are responsible for heavy numbers of Macs and who do n’t need to bear around CDs and DVD with all their tools , or for anyone who merely want to use a retired iPod for something other than a paperweight .
[ Kirk McElhearn is the author of many books , includingThe Mac OS X Command melodic line : Unix Under the Hood(Sybex , 2004 ) . His blog , Kirkville , talks about Macs , iPods , and more . ]
