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Spyder 3 Pro attached to monitor during calibration

Ensuring that color remains consistent across display devices and printers is a definite must for anyone who takes photography and compositing work seriously.

For the past five months I’ve been using a Spyder 3 Pro to calibrate four monitors connected to my Hack Pro system. So far I’ve been extremely pleased with its ease of use with both OS X and Windows 7. The software for both platforms is intuitive and simple to use. I can attest that it’s fully compatible with Snow Leopard.

The difference Spyder’s proper calibration makes is quite amazing; almost like getting a new monitor.

When prompted by the software, you simply attach the Spyder to the monitor using the provided suction cup or dangling it using the USB cable. The software then runs through several calibration algorithms so that it figures out the optimum color profile for your monitor. The difference Spyder’s proper calibration makes is quite amazing; almost like getting a new monitor.

I have two Dell FP2001s, one Dell FP2007 and one Dell S1909W, all connected via DVI. Previous to using the Spyder, it was quite tortuous aiming for consistent color across all the monitors by fiddling with brightness, gamma and color temperature settings manually; most often than not, the results left a lot to be desired. With the Spyder, it’s a breeze to calibrate.

The little bugger also comes with a neat little stand to keep it perched on your workbench so that it takes care of monitoring the ambient light level in the surrounding environment.

As of writing, you can get the Spyder for 29% off at Amazon.com at a price of $139.

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INSTALLING SNOW LEOPARD

The good thing is that Snow Leopard works flawlessly with the build. An even better thing is that digital_dreamer over at InsanelyMac has updated his Standard Retail DVD Install script and has made it Snow Leopard compatible. Go on over there and read up.

OVERCLOCKING AND PERFORMANCE VS A REAL MAC PRO

Although there are some that have managed to get a pretty stable overclock at 4.0GHz on the i7 920, my little experiments have led me to a stable 3.72GHz overclock and well within a reasonable temperature range of 40C to 70C (70C being under heavy load).

This is a 40% increase in GHz over the stock speed of 2.66GHz.

Considering the Hackintosh Pro is 40% cheaper than a similar Mac Pro and is 45% faster based on Geekbench scores, I’d say the Hackintosh route makes way more sense.

In terms of performance, a 2.66GHz Xeon W3520-based 2009 Mac Pro has a Geekbench score of 8,144.

A Hackintosh Pro built like the one I have running at the stock speed of 2.66GHz has a score of 8,667.

And finally, overclocking the Hackintosh Pro to a stable 3.72GHz gives a score of 11,789!

Considering the Hackintosh Pro is 40% cheaper than a similar Mac Pro and is 45% faster based on Geekbench scores, I’d say the Hackintosh route makes way more sense.

TIPS THAT’LL SAVE YOU YEARS OF YOUR LIFE, OR MAYBE NOT

Build tip #1: Windows 7 Likes to Think It’s King

Install Windows 7 on the first SATA connector as its installer is picky about that. How picky? Well, after wasting a few minutes of your life, it’ll give you a message to the effect that Windows cannot find itself to install itself. Or some borderline existentialism of the sort that only Redmondville can conjure up.

Build tip #2: Install OS X and Windows 7 on Separate Drives

My initial install had both OS X and Windows 7 on the same boot drive. It was tricky to set up, yet it worked flawlessly. The only snag was that it would bork up every time I installed a new Windows release or reinstalled Chameleon and I’d have to go through a tedious routine to get it all back in shape.

Besides, if one hard disk goes down, I still got at least one OS operational until I get the chance to replace the other one from a backup disk.

When using separate disks for OS X and Windows 7, install Chameleon on the OS X disk and set it as the boot drive in the BIOS. When Chameleon boots up, select the partition icon labeled “System Reserved” and not the one labeled “Windows” to load up Windows 7.

Build tip #3: Ensuring that Sleep Works

This one’s simple, at least in my experience. To keep sleep working fine, make sure that no drives are plugged into the Gigabyte JMicron SATA controller. On the GA-EX58-UD5, these are the white connectors as opposed to the blue connectors for the Intel SATA controller. If you do use the JMicron controller, right-click ejecting the drive before performing a sleep will ensure that your Hackintosh will wake up; obviously you could still keep the drive physically plugged in.

Build tip #4: Installing Silverlight

When installing on a Hackintosh, Microsoft’s Silverlight installer package will erroneously report that it cannot be installed on a PowerPC-based Mac. To avoid the installer assuming such nonsense, you’ll have to slightly modify the installer script.

Select the package in Finder, right-click and select Show Package Contents. Navigate to Contents/Resources/ and load InstallationCheck using a text editor such as TextEdit. Change all occurrences of 96+6 to 0. Save the file and run the installer.

Build tip #5: Enabling Quartz Extreme and Core Image

Under Snow Leopard, OS X’s System Profiler will not indicate whether Quartz Extreme or Core Image are enabled. Apple figured out that since 10.6 will only work on Intel machines, and all Intel-based Macs are QE and CI capable, such a check is not necessary.

This presents a problem for Hackintoshers as we need to ensure that our device-properties EFI string in the boot.plist (whether added directly by us or amended at boot time via so called injectors such a NVEnabler) is working as it should be.

All is not lost however, as there is a quick way to check whether QE and CI are enabled and that’s by dropping a new widget in Dashboard. If the screen ripples, then that’s QE and CI at work. If it doesn’t, then QE and CI are not enabled.

Build tip #6: Fix Broken Printer Spooler in Windows 7

If you’re using VMWare Fusion to run Windows inside OS X, then you may experience printing failure if you boot your machine into Windows directly. This is caused by a buggy ThinPrint client installed by VMWare Tools. To resolve this issue, load up Windows via Fusion in OS X, remove VMWare Tools, and re-install VMWare Tools but this time untick the ThinPrint client option. Now you’ll be able to print when Windows is loaded directly at boot time.

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A Snow Leopard follow up to this post is here.

A couple of months ago I built a quad-core Mac Pro equivalent “Hackintosh” based on Intel’s X58 and Core i7. All components were selected for their compatibility with Mac OS X Leopard. My goal was to build as close a Mac Pro clone as possible using off the shelf parts, with the ability to do Apple Software Updates on a retail, unmodified OS X installation as you would with a real Mac. First though, a little background…

BIRTH OF A DELLINTOSH

For five years I’ve used a trusty Dell Optiplex GX280. It’s a 3Ghz Pentium 4, Hyper-Threading system. I’ve never had any issues with it which probably had something to do with the fact that I’d stuck with Windows XP Pro throughout and didn’t bother “downgrading” to Windows Vista. From video editing using Sony Vegas to Photoshop usage, the system was rock solid and stable.

Back in August of 2008 I jumped on the Hackintosh bandwagon by installing OS X on it.

To test out whether my Dell works with OS X, I got hold of a bootable, modified installation disc that allowed me to do just that. These Hackintosh distros are dubbed “OSx86″ as they’re patched to work with non-Apple x86-based systems. For instance, Apple uses EFI to boot while non-Apple machines use BIOS, so the distro has to emulate EFI in some way. Additionally, as the kernel provided in OS X only works with a Core/Core 2 CPU, the distro includes a modified kernel that works with a Pentium 4. The distro also includes additional/replacement kernel extensions (kexts) to drive hardware not usually found on Apple systems.

To my surprise, OS X booted up just fine; it even recognized my dual monitor setup. It didn’t identify the on-board Broadcom chipset ethernet, which was easily rectified by using a Realtek chipset ethernet card that I got for around three dinars (eight dollars).

I was even able to edit and render 1080p video using Final Cut Pro without a hitch. It soon became my system of choice and I hardly ever booted XP.

Following that little experiment, I went ahead and installed OS X permanently on my Dell, dual-booting with XP using the Darwin bootloader. Granted, the Dell was only a P 4 system, yet OS X worked smoothly and flawlessly, recognizing the two virtual cores provided by Hyper-Threading. I was even able to edit and render 1080p video using Final Cut Pro without a hitch. It soon became my system of choice and I hardly ever booted XP.

With its Unix base, OS X took me back to the days when computing was fun, when one could dig under the hood and run shell scripts and do all that good geekery. It’s like FreeBSD or GNU/Linux but with popular application support and a great user interface. I was hooked.

OS X has the best of both worlds: like a *nix system, it is rock solid and allows one to easily get under the hood and elegantly script and code for it, all the while having a mature desktop as Windows does.

Prior to the introduction of OS X, I never had the inclination to get a Mac, since the Classic Mac OS (Systems 7-9 having been used by me) seemed rather pedestrian. OS X has the best of both worlds: like a *nix system, it is rock solid and allows one to easily get under the hood and elegantly script and code for it, all the while having a mature desktop as Windows does.

The only snag with my Dell Hackintosh was that I wasn’t able to update easily or without the risk of breaking the system installation. Part of that is due to the fact that I was using a non-vanilla kernel as well as various other kexts in a way that if they were overwritten by the Apple Software Update, it would render my system non-working.

The Hackintosh community did come up with various ways to install system software updates without the risk of breaking an OS X installation, yet by that time I had been using OS X on my Dell for a little over a year and decided its time to finally upgrade my rig.

CLOUDNUMBERNINETOSH: A CORE i7 HACKINTOSH PRO

I thought of buying a Mac Pro. Whether I purchased it locally or had one shipped from the States, the cost would be significantly higher than if I built my own customized Hackintosh Pro system. True, a Mac Pro uses

Instead of a true Mac Pro clone, I’d be creating a sort of “Mac Pro jr.”, a mythical machine that costs a bit more than an iMac but is as fast as a W3520 Xeon-based 2009 Mac Pro, and has expansion potential similar to the Mac Pro.

way more expensive server-class Xeon CPUs instead of the Core i7, comes in a great case and has an unmistakable quality feel to it. Then again, with the right motherboard, the Core i7 has great bang-for-the-buck when overclocked compared to a Xeon. Instead of a true Mac Pro clone, I’d be creating a sort of “Mac Pro jr.”, a mythical machine that costs a bit more than an iMac but is as fast as a W3520 Xeon-based 2009 Mac Pro, and has expansion potential similar to the Mac Pro.

Besides, what’s the fun in buying something pre-built? I’ve built a PC nine years ago and it was great fun, and the thought of doing it again was more tempting than simply walking into the local Apple dealer and handing him a wad of cash for one box. I wanted crates of components and I wanted to build it myself.

THE BUILD

I’ve ordered most components from Amazon.com. I would’ve loved to order from newegg.com, but they were being jacks about accepting my non-US CC and shipping to my Aramex mail-forwarding box.

The table below compares the Mac Pro vis-a-vis my Hackintosh configuration’s components and shipping price. The motherboard of choice is the Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5, which has been shown to work quite well with OS X.

The table below provides the savings potential from going the Hackintosh route instead of buying a Mac Pro locally in Bahrain or from the US.

Note that I could have saved over 44% by settling for less, and slower memory instead of the 6GB 1600MHz Corsair Dominator, and settling for one graphics card instead of two.

INSTALLING OS X LEOPARD

The process of installing a retail copy of OS X is simplified by the wonderful “Standard Retail DVD Install” script and instructions provided by digital_dreamer at InsanelyMac.

Apple Software Updates can be performed safely without the risk of breaking the installation.

This method of installation provides for a completely retail, vanilla install and uses the Chameleon bootloader to load any necessary modifications at boot time, without affecting the original system files and/or structure. This ensures that Apple Software Updates can be performed safely without the risk of breaking the installation. This makes the Hackintosh as good as a real Mac with hassle-free updates.

I also installed Windows 7. I don’t usually boot directly into it (though I can), since I use VMWare Fusion to run it in a virtual machine under OS X. Works like a charm. The same goes for other OSs, including Ubuntu and AROS.

I’m currently using three Dell 20.1″ monitors and running four virtual desktops, each one spanning all three monitors. The following is a screenshot of the setup using Exposé:

Windows 7 is running in a virtual machine on the left screen of the first desktop, while AROS is running in another VM on the middle screen of the lower left desktop. Photoshop, Google Earth, VLC and a host of other programs are running as well. Yes, even when zoomed out in Exposé, the videos, Google Earth’s animation, etc. are playing without a hiccup. Mac OS X is THAT good.

BENCHMARKS: HACKINTOSH PRO FASTER THAN A W3520 XEON-BASED 2009 MAC PRO

Without overclocking the i7 920, I’m pleased to say that the Cloudnumberninetosh is faster than a W3520-based 2009 Mac Pro. It has a Geekbench score of 8667, while average W3520-based 2009 Mac Pro scores are at 8144.

Compare this to my old Dell’s score of 1805!

Having at your disposal four real cores and a total of eight virtual cores (each core is virtualized into two) means that whatever you throw at this rig, it won’t break a sweat.

Once I get around to overclocking this beast, I’ll update this section. Based on the experience of others with a similar setup, I can easily get a score of 12,000+ with a 3.6-3.8GHz overclock.

Having at your disposal four real cores and a total of eight virtual cores (each core is virtualized into two) means that whatever you throw at this rig, it won’t break a sweat.

CONCLUSION

Is it worth it? Absolutely. If you’re willing to spare the time and don’t have the need for all the other additions/advantages that a Mac Pro provides, then this is a great way to get a machine which is super-fast and expandable while remaining only slightly more expensive than a high end dual-core iMac (even if you add 100 dinars or so for a decent monitor) and cheaper than a Mac Pro.

Besides, if you’re a Windows gamer, the motherboard comes with three NVidia SLI and ATI CrossFireX PCI Express slots which you can take advantage of for connecting up to three same-model graphics cards to get higher frame rates. SLI and CrossFire is not available on the Mac Pros and is not supported by Leopard, though on a Hackintosh such as the Cloudnumberninetosh you may keep the cards bridged as it won’t affect the operation of OS X. When using Windows, you can turn on SLI/CrossFire for certain games to get higher frame rates.

Note: In no way do I condone software piracy. Having installed OS X on three machines to date, I did buy a brand new, shrink-wrapped OS X Retail Family Pack from eBay for US$149 (a bargain multi-license if you compare it to other software), which gives me a license for up to five installations. I know Apple’s end-user license agreement (EULA) states that OS X should not be installed on ” non Apple-labeled” machines. That is subject to interpretation. Apple-labeled could well mean slapping an Apple sticker on the machine (which is what I did). Besides, in some jurisdictions post-purchase agreements such as EULAs are not valid. I’m not sure what Bahraini law’s take on that, though I doubt it’s advanced enough to deal with such issues.

Don’t ask me for copies of OS X! You can get your own single-license copy from amazon.com for around USD 99.

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Jeffrey Mistlethorpe had not yet realized the calamity of the situation he was in. It was the sort of calamity that takes time to dawn on its victim. A calamity of proportions so great that only its shadow was seen by Jeffrey. It loomed over his frazzled head. Poor he.

“Will you look at that fellow over there. Poor thing he is if you ask me,” an elderly woman said.

“Oh, mother, he’s just the way he wants to be. It’s young folks these days. They do things that you or I would never understand.”

***

And so time passed: hours, days, weeks, months; and all that Jeffrey did was walk under the shadow of this great calamity. The mother of all calamities.

He looked up. “That’s it. I want sunshine. I really do. I want that damn cloud to dissipate, to melt away, to vaporize out of my life once and for all.”

He took a few steps by the river Mistlethorpe, named after his great-great-grandfather, founder of Mistleville. A crackling, thunderous, booming sound rained down.

“Oh, my,” Jeffrey said as the sound waves knocked him over.

***

Jeffrey awoke to find himself as he was by the river Mistlethorpe. Yet something was different. A gentle, calming warmth penetrated his skin. Squinting, he looked at the sunlight that surrounded him. He stood up and patted his clothes clean.

“Good stuff,” he said. He smiled from ear-to-ear, his gleaming whites glinting in the sun.

***

With every morning, Jeffrey’s days got sunnier. His demeanor took one of gentle grace that allowed him to sail through all the tumultuousness that life tossed his way.

“Will you look at that fellow over there,” an elderly woman said.

“Oh, mother, he’s just having a good day.”

“I’d say.”

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Make believe
open your eyes and look
at me

Show me what you think
I’ll show you what I think

We’ll see each other
in a land of
make believe

So many happy happenings
to find, to have, to be

For make believe
is what we
believe in

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My friend Husam got himself a Harley, I got myself a camera, a couple of strobes and a light diffuser that seems to have been a shower cap in a previous life.

I’ve been fiddling around with a hybrid photography/graphic style that’s often referred to as hyper-realism. The style is identifiable by its clean, contrasty look, sharp details, vivid colors and usually large depth of field.

Is it a good thing? Well, for what it’s worth, let’s deploy the age old dictum (or escape door mechanism) that art is subjective. And while we’re at it, let’s take a look at a before and after photo I did (click on photos to view original size):

Before

After

Obviously, besides the contrast, detail and colors, I’ve composited the sky from another photo I’ve taken (my early attempts had me drawing clouds, which weren’t good at all!).

In other edits, I’ve gone overboard and added more than just a cloudy sky:

Before

After

The flames are courtesy of flame brushes from Obsidian Dawn.

For each shot, two off-camera strobes were used. Shooting took place around the Zallaq area in Bahrain on a clear day.

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We looked at each other
like children in a playground
asking questions we couldn’t answer

We giggled
we loved
we lived

That is all we did
that is all we needed
that is all

That is all

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Like all moments before it, this particular moment was not made to last. At least that’s what everyone thought at first.

In a medley of love and hate, defeat and triumph, lies and retribution; the moment came about. It looked at the blue sky patched with fluffy white clouds and asked, “what is it that makes me so…so momentous?”

The sky of course, being a sky, didn’t answer. The moment looked on elsewhere, it searched for anything that could possibly utter an answer. Perhaps it could be a bird, one that would sing an answer. Or a tree that would flutter its leaves like so and so to reveal a hidden truth. Perhaps.

The moment was steadfast in its search for an answer. The moment kept on looking, until it eventually and inadvertently became that which all moments cannot possibly be: eternity.

Then another thought-provoking, interesting moment came along and took over.

So much for eternity.

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The principle holds that no citizen loses his property or his rights of citizenship and the citizenship right is de facto a right to which (Palestinians in Israel) have much more legitimacy than the Jews…If all nations would suddenly claim territories in which their forefathers lived two thousands years ago, this world would be a madhouse.

Jewish Letter, February 9, 1959

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