Researchers and developers are always trying to reinvent the desktop, taking it in multiple directions more similar to real life, like this BumpTop, or more similar to a Virtual Reality type desktop that you see in the movies.
The BumpTop structures files and programs as 3d cards with weight that you can shuffle around and move about the desktop. You can throw a bunch of similar cards on a pile to represent stuff you’ll get to later, or stack them neatly to represent stuff you’ve already seen.
This looks interesting and is definitely worth a try, but somehow we don’t think it’s going to catch on. Current desktops are nice because you can quickly search and find what you want in addition to being able to see a bunch of files and programs at once. Making it too similar to a messy desk may not be what users want. Few people want to sort through their stack of porn online too.
BumpTop Prototype [via TechEBlog]
