BumpTop

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What is BumpTop?

BumpTop is a fresh, innovative 3D desktop user interface that lets you stay organized and share your files and photos from your desktop naturally and easily. BumpTop has the look and feel of a real desk, only better.

How is BumpTop better than my previous desktop?

BumpTop has the look and feel of a real desktop, so it's natural and intuitive. But unlike a real desk where stacks can become unruly, BumpTop lets you pile files intelligently -- by project, by file type or any way you choose. And with BumpTop's search-as-you-type capabilities you can find exactly what you're looking for.

Why do I need BumpTop?

People organize their real-world desks in any number of different ways, to suit their own style. Research shows that everyone stacks and piles their documents, and almost a third of people indicate stacking and piling is their preferred way of organizing their desks. However, people have had to conform to the rigid, conventional desktop organization which is grid and folder based. BumpTop allows users to create a digital desktop that is intuitive and easy to use, just like their physical one but with the power and intelligence of the underlying computer to increase productivity in a fun and playful way.

BumpTop also increases productivity by creating groups of files based on file types or keywords. You can also send files to e-mail, your printer, and social media applications such as Twitter and Facebook faster and more efficiently. And finally, BumpTop is fun.

How can BumpTop increase my productivity?

BumpTop will increase your productivity in several ways. First, it makes managing and organizing the files on your desktop easier. Conventional desktops simply display files in a grid pattern with all files appearing equal - from your most frequently used files to your least. BumpTop gives you a visual queue to the frequency a file is accessed, making often-accessed files larger and heavier. When the file icons are tossed around on the desktop they interact with each other based on their weight, with heavier, more important files bumping smaller, lighter files out of the way and therefore keeping them visible and prominent.

BumpTop also allows users to perform common tasks such as posting an image to Facebook in fewer clicks and less time. The possibilities are endless for these type of productivity-enhancing features, as BumpTop allows its community to create and share widgets freely.

Finally, with the virtual walls of the BumpTop desktop, users can pin-up reminders, lists and photos to help keep themselves on-task and on-track in a comfortable, customized environment.

Do I need a touch display for BumpTop to work?

Consumer PCs and hardware are moving toward highly networked, touch-based devices and BumpTop was designed from the ground up to work in a touch environment, without a traditional keyboard and mouse, making optimal use of touch and multi-touch systems. But BumpTop is still effective and increases the productivity and playfulness of point-and-click systems as well.

Does BumpTop support Windows 7?

Microsoft's Windows 7 brings new levels of support for touch and multi-touch systems. BumpTop sits on top of the Windows 7 framework to add additional levels of intelligence, intuitiveness and playfulness not available with the conventional desktop.

Where can I get a Mac or Linux version?

Right now BumpTop is only available for Windows, PC environments. As we expand our product lineup we will update our web site at www.BumpTop.com.

Is BumpTop available in languages other than English?

Right now BumpTop is only available in English, however there are plans to expand the language support based on user demand. As we expand our product lineup we will update our web site at www.BumpTop.com.

Will BumpTop slow down my computer, what system specs do I need to run BumpTop?

BumpTop offers a scalable solution to ensure that every user has a good experience. BumpTop uses the underlying graphics architecture of the computer system to render the 3D images. The more powerful the system, the more items the user can place on the desktop and interact with.

How is the Pro version different from the free version?

Both the free and Pro versions include the primary features such as piling, icon interaction, intuitive gestures, themes, widgets and zooming photo slideshows. The Pro version also allows users to create an unlimited number of Sticky notes (free version capped at 2), allows users to flip through piles as a search mechanism and includes a premium level of technical support for users.

What has changed since the TED demo and earlier Beta versions?

BumpTop has gone through an extensive beta testing period resulting in a more stable, feature-rich product. With more than 25,000 beta users, there has been a large amount of user data and feedback gathered. Based on that data, as well as ongoing technical reviews of the application itself, some features have changed since the original TED demo and Beta version. For example, in the original Beta you could place items on shelves on your side walls. This proved to be a feature with limited use and was therefore removed.

Can I get BumpTop pre-installed when I buy a new computer?

We are working with a number of system and hardware vendors to offer BumpTop pre-installed on systems or bundled with hardware purchases, however, at this time BumpTop is only available as a download from www.BumpTop.com. As availability expands we will update the BumpTop website with information.

How do I get my other applications to look and feel like BumpTop? All my windows programs look and feel the same.

Through the development of BumpTop, a sophisticated underlying framework and advanced IP has been developed to support multi-touch, 3D enabled applications. Third party developers can fairly easily tap into this framework to bring multi-touch and 3D rendering to existing and new applications.