We run a pure Mac development environment with Macbooks and Macbook Pros for my startup in Bangalore. Recently, my maxed out Macbook lost its LCD backlight and had to be sent into the Apple Store (Imagine). Running a new startup without a computer to work with isn’t advisable, besides personal withdrawal issues. I realized that we need an extra system in the office so that if something breaks down, we have a machine to work with. Obviously, as a startup we can’t go around buying Mac Pros for redundancy.

So I chose to go the Hackintosh way. I got a 10.5.2 Hardware Compatibility List off the OSX86Project Wiki and speced out a system that was under $500/Rs.22,000 and started looking for people who could deliver the goods. I found ‘Pintu’ at Karnataka Computers who did the entire thing up for me. So this is what my config looks like:

• Gigabyte Motherboard GA-945GCM-S2L
• Intel 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo
• Transcend 1 x 2GB Ram
• LiteOn 20x DVD Burner
• NVidia XFX 7200GS 256MB
• 500GB Hard Disk Sata (a little extra)
• Netgear WiFi USB Adapter WG111v3
• Logitech Wireless Keyboard + Mouse Set
• Cabinet, SMPS, Wires etc.

It is such a smooth machine, that I ended up buying a 22″ LG Flatron LCD and making it my mainstay. My Time Machine backup had me up and running in a day - yes it took me that long to retrieve my data. Besides the slow data recovery, the only problem I had was that my USB devices need to be connected before I start up or restart my machine, I am hoping that its a fix that’s out there. Update: I upgraded to modbin 9.3.0 kernel and its all taken care of.

A working and powerful Mac desktop in under Rs.30,000/$750 in India. Awesome.

These guys did a bang up job at finalizing the configuration and delivering it in Bangalore within a couple of hours:
Karanataka Computers, 080-2229-0815
karanatakacomputers@vsnl.net

I just tried signing into my Flickr account and it kept giving me ‘wrong id/password’ message, making my heart skip a beat each time. But after five minutes, I was able to sign into My Yahoo! and now another 10 minutes later, into Flickr.com.

Did they just have a hiccup?

As per Business Standard George Soros has picked up a 3% stake in Reliance Entertainment for $100 million effectively valuing the company for $3 billion. ContentSutra got a confirmation of the same from Rajesh Sawhney, President of the Rs. 400 crore investment.

Zapak, Big Adda, Big Flicks, Jump Games and the whole BIG thing (Movies & Music) are owned by the company, which may be heading towards an IPO soon. This is definitely big news for the Indian industry and the value this market holds for the next little while.

I have had which I had only heard about. A really ‘meh’ day, or to be more eloquent - a ‘blah’ day! I guess I am just going to chill out in front of the one-way-meant-for-boobs tube and read some of the latest on ContentSutra and UX Magazine.

Erick Schonfeld over at Techcrunch.com details the Venture Capital funding for 2007 based on a report by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and National Venture Capital Association. It’s been the craziest year since 2001. Ok, so it may not be a bubble as far as this report goes, but I find myself wondering about its existence in India. Lot of hype, lot of trades, not many revenue models - that’s a bubble right? Some interesting facts:

• $4.6 billion in internet deals -> + 12% y-o-y
• $5.27 billion in software - biggest sector
• $7.2 billion or 1267 deals - first time financings
• $6.3 billion or 1410 early stage deals -> + 11% y-o-y
• $12.2 billion or 1168 later stage deals -> + 41% vs. 37% in previous year
• Study represents 480 venture capital and private equity funds
• $2.2 billion in clean tech - fastest growing sector