Bumptop swallowed up by Google

I have really enjoyed going to presentations over the last year. Not just because I am a pitching machine who loves the thrill of the chase (although I am of course) but because every time I open my Macbook, the other guys/girls in the room say....

"Ooh. what's that?"

It is of course my desktop as completely revolutionised by Bumptop. For those of you who are not aware of this superb application it is a 3d realised version of a 'real' desktop which allows you to view your desktop files in a more human, ergonomic way.

You can personalise your workspace, arrange file icons, make piles and throw them round the desktop. You can make individual file icons bigger and smaller. Files' movement are governed by the physics of their size. You can stick them on walls, label them...oh it's fantastic.

See it for yourself here



It has changed the way I use my Mac.I only realised how much when it accidentally closed last week and I was left with my old fashioned desktop with row upon row of faceless files. I felt as if I'd been transferred to cold war Berlin, I was so depressed. If I was ever to lose Bumptop I would be bereft.

So I thought I'd blog about how good it was and get others to feel the benefit and then I found out that Google have just bought the company!

The reporting on this out there is a little bit ambiguous but it seems that you will not be able to download it anymore and there wont be any more updates for it.

I can only assume this is because Google are deciding what to do with the technology as they surely must have plans for it?

I am sad on two counts...

1) that the technology that has genuinely changed my way of working more than any other application might be gone forever.

2) That Google, in buying this cute little piece of work is now going to make it visible to everyone and they'll all buy it and then I wont feel like a cool early adopter in meetings anymore!