BumpTop - last free version BumpTop-2.1-6225.exe

[IainB]

I was just reviewing my box.net files for something unrelated to this, when I realised that I had not provided the DC forum with a link to the last free version of BumpTop. I'm not sure if there is already a link to download this version elsewhere on the DC forum, but here it is anyway: BumpTop-2.1-6225.exe
EDIT 2013-05-20: Quite a lot of people have been downloading this file recently. Could you post a comment in the discussion thread below as to why you got the file and what you thought of BumpTop? It would be interesting to know what use people might be putting it to and what problems it may have or help overcome. (Thanks.)
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This version was made available for a while on the BumpTop website: http://bumptop.com/ in May 2010, shortly before it was announced that Google had acquired BumpTop, a short while after which the last version became no longer available.
You can read more about it on Wikipedia - BumpTop

[Ath]

That looks cool It's a pity Google is trying to hide it, but I guess they need it as a USP for Android

[IainB]

Made an edit to the opening post:

EDIT 2013-05-20: Quite a lot of people have been downloading this file recently. Could you post a comment in the discussion thread below as to why you got the file and what you thought of BumpTop? It would be interesting to know what use people might be putting it to and what problems it may have or help overcome. (Thanks.)
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[big-red]

I tried out BumpTop a few years ago, but don't remember being overly impressed. I recall comments that it was buggy and a resource hog. Just reinstalled it from your linked file, and finding it fun, and possibly even useful. There were some external widgets made for BumpTop, many looked useful - such as a file preview widget to browse content without opening the file. I've looked around for these widgets on Google, and also the widget manager previously available - to no avail. All links seem to be dead.

Anybody know where to download BumpTop external widgets?

[IainB]

Sorry, I can't help re the widgets, but there may well be someone else on the DC forum who could.

[Timmmmaaahh]

EDIT 2013-05-20: Quite a lot of people have been downloading this file recently. Could you post a comment in the discussion thread below as to why you got the file and what you thought of BumpTop? It would be interesting to know what use people might be putting it to and what problems it may have or help overcome. (Thanks.)

-IainB (July 15, 2011, 09:51 PM)

Because you asked so nicely, I created an account for ya. I fired up your download and it still works nicely. Rainmeter stays on top so it combines with that too. It's amazing that a tool that stopped development over 3 years ago (which is like a gazillion technology years) still is the most stylish desktop replacement. Even on Windows 8 it runs like a charm. Can you imagine if this project was still alive and all grown up... boy, that would've been something. On that note: Google, you're a beotch!

I used to be one of the 'VIP Testers'. I had a great deal of input in the development of the program. I still have the email:

Thanks for signing up to be a BumpTop VIP! We're looking forward to your help in making BumpTop great.

[email protected]  3 March 2009

Go figure, "making BumTop great"... Shame they sold their souls instead.

Anyhow, thanks for keeping the download alive. I'm sure many more will enjoy this awesome 3D desktop

[IainB]

@Timmmmaaahh: Many thanks for that ^^.
What you say is rather interesting.
It rather seems as though Google had simply bought it (BumpTop) to kill it, but if that were the case, then quite what the motive might have been I have no idea.
Some people (not me you understand) might say that the killing of BumpTop would of itself be a very good reason for installing it and running it, just for spite, but I couldn't possibly comment.

[Timmmmaaahh]

Maybe Google considered them as a potential competition at the time. After all, the "touch" market was at the brink of evolving to an unseen global level and BumpTop was really hitting it off. In 2009, Apps were getting hot and Android launched mainstream. Either Google bought BumpTop because they had wild plans with it (but it turned out that it just doesn't work on a phone?) or they bought it just for the sake of 'buying them out' to eliminate the threat. I guess we'll never know...