Kickstarter project Jumpshot achieves goal to fight against PC frustration

If PC frustration is killing you slowly, the team at Jumpshot is here for you. This Kickstarter project exceeded its $25,000 goal in just two short days, with over 600 backers. Apparently, tech frustration is as pervasive as road rage.

The software acts like a police officer, bound to protect and serve your computer from evil. It wipes viruses, spyware and other crud off the system that regular anti-virus software may not find, as well as pre-packaged, unwanted software from the manufacturer. Jumpshot also investigates your PC’s functionality to uncover why it is running sluggishly (it could be secretly smoking the ganja), and provides feedback.

Founders Pedram Amini and David Endler worked at Hewlett-Packard for years, and grew tired of acting as free PC consultants when family and friends repeatedly faced computer issues. Rather than continuing to react to the problem, they decided to quit their day jobs and create a solution. Enter Jumpshot.

The two self-identified nerds basically put all their PC expertise and wisdom onto a USB stick, loaded with a version Linux and disk-clean-up tools. These sticks are more than just useful, they are cute to boot. Jumpshot features a cast of charming characters that each take on a different task in the mission to help keep your PC clean.

The leader is Officer Pete, whose passion is fighting “Grime”. He currently has 10 “minions”, including Kobayashi the ninja who kills viruses and spyware, Sir Jeffrey who detects failing parts, Dale Jumpshot Jr. who speeds up boot time, and Dr. Liza who analyzes your drive contents.

Amini and Endler have developed prototypes of the USBs that look like Officer Pete, Kobayashi, and Sir Jeffrey, and promise more to come. Jumpshot will be ready to ship out in November, and backers will get early access to the product. Most of the money raised will go towards manufacturing.

The USBs are PC and Mac compatible, although the software only works for PCs, and can also be used for data storage. At $35 a stick, it is far less expensive than taking a computer into a repair shop. And much more pleasant. If you are wondering whether you are a candidate for Jumpshot, check out this infographic, and don’t let PC frustration happen to you!