Micromat today announced the upcoming release of it latest product, TechTool Protogo. TechTool Protogo is a Mac OS X application that lets Mac users easily turn an old iPod, a flash drive or other similar device into a bootable diagnostic tool that contains several of Micromat's utilities (as well other third-party utilities). The device can then be used to boot, check, maintain and repair Macs, allowing a customer to create a tool similar to Micromat's TechTool Protege on a device they already own. TechTool Protogo ships on a DVD that includes the Protogo configuration application, as well as Micromat's TechTool Pro Classic (for Mac OS 9 systems and below), TechTool Pro 4 (for Mac OS X), and DiskStudio. Protogo includes several profiles for standard system/utility configurations, making it easy to set up a device for specific needs. TechTool Protogo will begin shipping at Macworld Expo on January 9th, 2007 for $200 ($135 street price).

The standard profiles included with the program range from a minimal bootable system with TechTool Pro 4 and DiskStudio, to a full Mac OS X installation including a Finder, Classic, and multiple utility programs.

An upgrade will be available as well to those who currently own TechTool Pro 4.