Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by PostOnce on Sunday May 02, 2010 @03:44PM
(#1313013)
The videos looked amazing, but in practice it's just a mess.
On the other hand, I thought that a side-effect of 20 years of acclimatizing to the industry-standard GUI might be difficulty switching to such a strange, physics-based 3D interface. It may be another issue of learning curve vs. post-learning benefit. I didn't give it enough time to really tell.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by hkuo on Monday May 03, 2010 @12:30AM
(#1314001)
Agreed. It took me no more than a minute after installing to realize there was no use for this.
I'm not buying into 3D interfaces represented on a 2D screen. I don't believe 3D interfaces will succeed until they can be holographically projected around me a la District 9.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by anigbrowl on Sunday May 02, 2010 @05:12PM
(#1313226)
Same experience here, but I thought it had great potential - it was just limited by in-the-box thinking (literally, in fact). Not very good for a mouse/pen combo...but I can easily imagine some evolution of it on my phone. Android already presents picture galleries in a 'pile of photos' fashion, and while there's a limit amount of space on the phone for throwing things about, some tablet device could certainly benefit from a shuffly physics metaphor.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by mhp on Sunday May 02, 2010 @03:41PM
(#1313011)
Google may be having trouble finding good programmers. The Aardvark acquisition and this one as well may have just been an expensive way to get some good people.
If you look at the HN thread about which companies are hiring, you'll see it's basically every single tech company under the sun right now.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by jjonte on Sunday May 02, 2010 @03:21PM
(#1312971)
A Bumptop-like interface would be pretty sweet on a tablet device running Chrome. This probably more a talent acquisition than a technology one - Bumptops's engineers have spent a lot of time thinking about UI metaphors and testing theories around them.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by cmelbye on Sunday May 02, 2010 @03:14PM
(#1312964)
Can't figure out why they're not just giving away the BumpTop Pro option. The crippled BumpTop free version is almost pointless with its limit of two sticky notes.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by thehodge on Sunday May 02, 2010 @05:25PM
(#1313259)
Well, the product has been out just over/under a year, If I'd paid for a digital product and less than a year later I'm told that I've got just a week to download it forever and there will be no further updates, I'd be pretty pissed.
Then to find out something I paid (even just last week) for was then given free to everyone else..
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by ugh on Sunday May 02, 2010 @05:50PM
(#1313297)
Why would that annoy you? I’m always puzzled by that sentiment – it doesn’t hurt you in any way if others could download it for free, it doesn’t change anything for you. That’s pure jealousy, isn’t it?
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by thehodge on Sunday May 02, 2010 @06:13PM
(#1313331)
Its the same feeling I get when I buy something and the next day its on sale for 50% off or when steam has one of its mega sales when I just bought the damn game..
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by fnid2 on Sunday May 02, 2010 @08:41PM
(#1313615)
I once worked for a product company that started out charging a lot for its product. They began to struggle finding new customers for their product because it cost so much. I said, "Why can't you just decrease the price?"
The reason was because they didn't want to anger their existing customer base who had already paid a lot.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by MWinther on Sunday May 02, 2010 @07:25PM
(#1313483)
Seems the human mind is wired to be sensitive to the concept of fairness. From what I understand it's been observed in chimps as well. At any rate, people see giving out things for free after they themselves paid for it as unfair, and most people react to that. It's not the logical reaction, as you're pointing out, but it is instinctual.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by fnid2 on Sunday May 02, 2010 @08:45PM
(#1313623)
Since we don't know what the price is, Google might have paid a sum for the product that is simply less than it would cost them to rebuild it themselves. Plus, they get the press for the acquisition and a talented, happy new member of the team.
If it would take them 3 engineers and a year to build bumptop and they paid $200,000 for it, then everyone wins.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by _delirium on Sunday May 02, 2010 @09:04PM
(#1313649)
I agree how much they paid is important in evaluating the purchase (the less they paid, the more justifiable it'd be to buy it just for some talent and in the off chance some of the ideas/tech/IP turned out to be useful). But I doubt it's anything as low as $200k, because they had VC funding of a few million, and presumably the VCs wouldn't sign off on selling for a loss. This article estimates $40m, though they may have just pulled that number out of thin air: http://thenextweb.com/google/2010/05/02/google-purchases-bum...
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by LiveTheDream on Sunday May 02, 2010 @05:37PM
(#1313272)
...we've been acquired by Google...For the next week, we're keeping BumpTop Free available for download to give BumpTop fans one last chance to grab a copy.
That is one hell of a great way to get a huge boost in downloads :)
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by thehodge on Sunday May 02, 2010 @02:14PM
(#1312868)
Could the technology become part of the android platform, I find it strange that they've just cut off updating the desktop clients and from next week won't even support / let you download them again..
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by Gibbon on Sunday May 02, 2010 @05:03PM
(#1313205)
Mostly they dump bucketloads of money into projects that disappear into blackholes, or morph into other products that are dubiously successful.
As far as talent goes, the Dodgeball founders left, Jaiku founders left, Panoramio, Blogger and Feedburner founders left. That's off the top of my head, there's probably a lot more.
Seems like an expensive and unreliable way to do bulk hires.
Re:Bumptop acquired by Google
by _delirium on Sunday May 02, 2010 @09:53PM
(#1313720)
I don't entirely disagree, but I think some of the ones you mention weren't talent acquisitions. My guess is that, despite the founders leaving, Google is still happy with its Blogger and Feedburner purchases, and they at least sort of integrate into its larger web of services (and data collection).
I played around with Bumptop a little bit when it came out but I have to say that I quickly removed it as I found it to add no value what so ever.
If anything this seems more like a talent acquisition than a technology acquisition.
On the other hand, I thought that a side-effect of 20 years of acclimatizing to the industry-standard GUI might be difficulty switching to such a strange, physics-based 3D interface. It may be another issue of learning curve vs. post-learning benefit. I didn't give it enough time to really tell.
I'm not buying into 3D interfaces represented on a 2D screen. I don't believe 3D interfaces will succeed until they can be holographically projected around me a la District 9.
If you look at the HN thread about which companies are hiring, you'll see it's basically every single tech company under the sun right now.
At least it seemed very entertaining to the TED crowd, they're mostly laughing.
Then to find out something I paid (even just last week) for was then given free to everyone else..
or pretty much anytime I buy an apple product.
The reason was because they didn't want to anger their existing customer base who had already paid a lot.
This isn't exactly the same case, but I believe it's close enough to be applicable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inequity_aversion
If it would take them 3 engineers and a year to build bumptop and they paid $200,000 for it, then everyone wins.
That is one hell of a great way to get a huge boost in downloads :)
EDIT: link to download page http://eol.bumptop.com/download.php
BumpTop with a touch based interface would be much more appealing than a mouse. Seems like a good fit.
http://www.bighappiehair.com/
Making Money? Who cares... Just buy shit that looks cool.
As far as talent goes, the Dodgeball founders left, Jaiku founders left, Panoramio, Blogger and Feedburner founders left. That's off the top of my head, there's probably a lot more.
Seems like an expensive and unreliable way to do bulk hires.