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BumpTop acquired by Google, no longer available
Leaving us so soon? BumpTop, the OS overlay specialist that gave Windows 7 touchscreen PCs a great reason to exist back in early 2009, seems to be pulling the plug on its one and only claim to fame. In a somewhat terse update posted to the site, the company -- which just outed a Mac version of their software in January -- has been acquired by Google, which means that BumpTop (for both Windows and Mac) will "no longer be available for sale." This plug pulling also means that no future updates are planned, but if you're not shaken by such a thought, the app can still be downloaded for the next week free of charge. As for BumpTop Pro users? End-of-life support will be provided for you all, but there's no guarantee that won't change as the wind blows. We're definitely curious to see what Google has in store for BumpTop -- ChromeOS and Android could get real crazy, real fast. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
BumpTop hits the Mac, covers your OS X desktop with piles just like your real desktop (video)
PC users have been making a 3D mess of their virtual Windows 7 desktops with BumpTop now for nearly a year, and have been doing it two-fingered since October saw the 1.2 multitouch release. Now you Apple fans can get a feel too, with BumpTop Mac newly available. There's a free version for you to try, or a $29 Pro edition that adds support for multitouch trackpads, enabling you to quickly form piles of docs and filter through them. Yes, piles of documents, much like that leaning tower of expense reports your co-workers have been giving a wide berth whenever they walk by. After the break you'll find a video of it all in action, and you can get your free trial at the read link -- assuming you're running OS 10.5 or higher.
BumpTop offers a 3D desktop on your Mac
I've never really gotten into the whole 3D file navigation thing (ever since "It's a Unix system! I know this!", it's seemed pretty corny), but BumpTop might be the exception I've been waiting for. It's a 3D overlay for your OS X desktop that turns files into 3D objects to move around, pin on the walls, pile up or break down as needed. It's not too shabby -- with all of these things, there's a fine line between adding in graphic splashes for the heck of it, and making sure everything has a real function, and it seems like BumpTop walks that line pretty well. Most of the graphical flair does actually help with a function also. The app also supports the multitouch trackpad on MacBooks, so there's a little bit of innovation to play with as well. Mashable says BumpTop is planning even more integration in the future, piping content from sites like Facebook and Twitter straight to one of the desktop's walls, and more involvement with the touch interface, even as we await the tablet's announcement. I don't know if it's quite enough for me to leave behind the 2D icons and filenames that have worked well so far, but BumpTop is an interesting experiment in adding that third dimension into your normal workspace. The app is a free trial download, with a Pro version available (multitouch support, unlimited stickies, instant search) for $29.
Video: BumpTop 1.2 with multitouch support available now
BumpTop 1.2 is now available, adding multitouch support to the already impressive list of features available for the 3D desktop. Check out the free download and you'll soon be introduced to a host of new gestures, including the scrunch (where you can grab a handful of items and pull 'em into a pile), wall focus and rotate, and some quick and easy photo editing. As always, you can download the free version to get started, but if you want to take advantage of stuff like un-watermarked image previews and unlimited sticky notes, you'll have to shell out $29 for the pro version. Sorry, Mac and Linux users -- this is still a Windows-only affair. But we do have a video for you! You know where to find it -- after the break, of course.
Video: Bumptop gives Windows 7 touchscreen PCs purpose
Bumptop has been around as a video concept for a few years. Now this amazing desktop organizer with a physics engine underpinning the UI is available for download (PC only). The software allows you to bump and toss weighted objects across the desktop and organize them into folders or piles the way you would on your real-world desk. It also includes the ability to pan and zoom on images with all the gesture support you'd expect. While a touchscreen (multi-touch supported when Windows 7 ships) display provides a more natural interface, Bumptop also works with a mouse. Check the video after the break -- then hit up the download link below which we suspect you'll be frantically searching for after the video ends. Granted, we don't want to spend our days with arms outstretched at "work" in front of a touchsceen PC anymore than you, but software like this could be useful on our lesser used, kitchen PCs.Update: Katherine Boehret and Walt Mossberg have posted their review after playing with the wares for a few days. It's definitely "worth a try" but requires a shift from an application- to a desktop-driven approach to daily computing. Something they don't sound eager to do regardless of how "fun" Bumptop is.Download