Filed under: Freeware, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
First Look: TweetDeck for iPhone
There's been no shortage of Twitter app reviews on TUAW. We've even covered TweetDeck once or twice. But now, another Mac app and iPhone app have intersected in the Twitter world and I, for one, am ecstatic about it. Until now, Tweetie had been my Twitter client of choice on both my Mac and my iPhone. I was pretty content with the set up, but had one issue: If I were out and about all day and checking Tweetie on my iPhone, I'd have to re-read all those tweets when I got home because the two programs had no way of communicating what had been read and what hadn't. TweetDeck has finally found a way around this issue, offering syncing between your iPhone client and your Mac client.
Gallery: TweetDeck for iPhone
TweetDeck solves the syncing issue by requiring a TweetDeck account in addition to the Twitter account. Signing up is quick and painless. I downloaded the application on my iPhone and signed up for a TweetDeck account that way. It only required an email address and password and I was ready to go. I grabbed the most recent release of TweetDeck for Mac and plugged in the account information I set up, and syncing took place automatically. It is a very slick process and one that will definitely sway me away from Tweetie as my iPhone client of choice.
If you're comfortable with TweetDeck as a desktop client, the iPhone client will look immediately familiar to you. By default there are 3 columns-- All Friends, Mentions, and Direct Messages. You can swipe through these panes quickly and easily, in a pretty intuitive way. Like most other iPhone Twitter clients, you can select an individual tweet, and through that tweet you can reply, direct message, re-tweet, forward or add it as a favorite. You can also select the Twitter user and get more information on the user. Tweets can include photos from your camera or photo library, and can include your location. In this day and age of competitive iPhone Twitter applications, this is a pretty standard feature set.
Performance on the iPhone is pretty good, but certainly not perfect. I had a couple app crashes during my testing, and even when successfully launched it would sometimes be a bit sluggish moving from column to column, and screen to screen. I reviewed this app on my original iPhone, so I'm hoping the additional horsepower the 3G S offers will solve some of the stability and slowness issues.
I love the syncing between the desktop and iPhone client, but TweetDeck is not my perfect solution, especially on my Mac desktop. The deck takes up my entire screen with its 3 columns, and looks very "un-Mac." There are weird inconsistencies with TweetDeck on my Mac compared to other applications (due to its Adobe AIR cross-platform underpinnings); for example the preferences panel is nowhere to be found in the standard menu bar. Instead it is located in a small "wrench" icon at the top of the screen. The scroll bars are very different than on any other application I use. Overall, the desktop client just feels like it doesn't belong on my Mac in the way that Tweetie does.
Similarly, the TweetDeck iPhone client tries very hard to match the look and feel of the desktop, despite it not really "fitting in" with the look and feel of the iPhone. On my iPhone I prefer a light background and dark text, so it fits in with the look and feel of most other iPhone applications. TweetDeck looks noticeably different than most applications, which could be considered good or bad depending on who you're asking.
All that being said, I love the "shake to refresh" option, but that may just be because I am very easy to please. Both the desktop and the iPhone client are able to update your Facebook status if you choose.
The price for both the iPhone and desktop client is very hard to ignore -- TweetDeck is a free download for both the Mac and iPhone client.
If you're comfortable with TweetDeck as a desktop client, the iPhone client will look immediately familiar to you. By default there are 3 columns-- All Friends, Mentions, and Direct Messages. You can swipe through these panes quickly and easily, in a pretty intuitive way. Like most other iPhone Twitter clients, you can select an individual tweet, and through that tweet you can reply, direct message, re-tweet, forward or add it as a favorite. You can also select the Twitter user and get more information on the user. Tweets can include photos from your camera or photo library, and can include your location. In this day and age of competitive iPhone Twitter applications, this is a pretty standard feature set.
Performance on the iPhone is pretty good, but certainly not perfect. I had a couple app crashes during my testing, and even when successfully launched it would sometimes be a bit sluggish moving from column to column, and screen to screen. I reviewed this app on my original iPhone, so I'm hoping the additional horsepower the 3G S offers will solve some of the stability and slowness issues.
I love the syncing between the desktop and iPhone client, but TweetDeck is not my perfect solution, especially on my Mac desktop. The deck takes up my entire screen with its 3 columns, and looks very "un-Mac." There are weird inconsistencies with TweetDeck on my Mac compared to other applications (due to its Adobe AIR cross-platform underpinnings); for example the preferences panel is nowhere to be found in the standard menu bar. Instead it is located in a small "wrench" icon at the top of the screen. The scroll bars are very different than on any other application I use. Overall, the desktop client just feels like it doesn't belong on my Mac in the way that Tweetie does.
Similarly, the TweetDeck iPhone client tries very hard to match the look and feel of the desktop, despite it not really "fitting in" with the look and feel of the iPhone. On my iPhone I prefer a light background and dark text, so it fits in with the look and feel of most other iPhone applications. TweetDeck looks noticeably different than most applications, which could be considered good or bad depending on who you're asking.
All that being said, I love the "shake to refresh" option, but that may just be because I am very easy to please. Both the desktop and the iPhone client are able to update your Facebook status if you choose.
The price for both the iPhone and desktop client is very hard to ignore -- TweetDeck is a free download for both the Mac and iPhone client.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason said 8:05AM on 6-17-2009
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did (love the desktop version). Something about the iPhone version is...off...to me. Likely will switch from Twitterific Premium though--if only for the FB status integration.
Reply
Jason said 8:09AM on 6-17-2009
I may have to retract that--just assumed FB status integration would be in the iPhone version like it was in the desktop version but after looking again, I don't believe it is. Doh!
thelegendofkb said 9:12AM on 6-17-2009
All you have to do is install the Twitter application on your Facebook page (http://apps.facebook.com/twitter/) and there is an option to have Twitter update your Facebook status. Then whenever you update Twitter—regardless of which client you use—Facebook will be updated too.
david said 8:20AM on 6-17-2009
There is no need to sync read-count - http://www.twitterisntemail.com/
If you treat twitter like email you'll drown while trying to drink from the fire hose.
Reply
nz said 8:30AM on 6-17-2009
I love when people tell me I'm doing something wrong. Twitter didn't start with @replies. What if the first person to do that was told "YOU CAN'T USE @ TO SEND SOMEONE A MESSAGE"? It is ridiculous that people think there is one and only one way to use software. Just because it isn't the way @atebits uses it doesn't make it wrong. In fact, it probably just means their software sucks at being used the way some people want.
That all said, I don't see syncing as a way to read every message, but a way to not read the same tweets twice. I hate when I open TwitterFon only to se the @replies icon light up with messages I read hours ago in TweetDeck.
I can't believe it has taken this long for someone to develop this feature. It would have been the first thing I put in a cross-platform Twitter client.
Paul said 9:05AM on 6-17-2009
The main difference between Twitter and email is that the former is completely an opt-in system. Basically, I get tweets from people or companies that I want to hear from and no one else. That isn't true of email. So, it is correct to say that it isn't email, but that doesn't mean I'm not still interested in reading (or glancing at) all the tweets that come my way.
David Jack Wange Olrik said 9:08AM on 6-17-2009
@nc Are you reading every tweet you get? I.e. "drinking from the fire hose"
If not them I'm not saying you are doing anything wrong.
I'm just pointing out that if people treat twitter like email they are very likely to get information overload. A lot of people will use this sync feature to try to read every tweet they get. If that's your thing then by all means go ahead and do it.
The fact that people let them selves get overloaded doesn't make anybodys twitter client suck, it's just the nature of twitter (and email for that matter).
That said, I see your point and think syncing could be useful for @mentions, unless of course you are wildly popular and get mentioned all the time.
"Don't drink from the fire hose", it simply can't be done...
David Jack Wange Olrik said 9:18AM on 6-17-2009
@Paul If you're only following a handful of people, then I guess you are right.
But in order to get the full benefit of twitter I feel you need to follow at least 100 or more people. And the more people you follow the bigger the hose gets.
Twitter has the potential to be a bigger hose than email, but it doesn't require the same response from the receiver, hence you do not need to read every tweet you get.
I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, I'm just warning against potential information overload.
Aaron Richard said 12:55PM on 6-17-2009
I approve of your website.
+1 lulz
BlockheadCompany said 4:23PM on 6-17-2009
But I found the Marble in the Oatmeal. I wanna drink from the firehose.
:)
Matthew said 8:21AM on 6-17-2009
It has crashed on me several time and I get a slow internet message on my 3G phone all the time. I deleted it already. Yes it looks nice but twittelator is the only app for twitter for me at this time.
Reply
Andrew said 8:48AM on 6-17-2009
I like the UI for TweetDeck on the iPhone, but the searches aren't nice and there is no trends list. Staying on Tweetie for the timebeing.
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Andre said 8:37AM on 6-17-2009
How do you get the "everyone" feed?
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M said 9:23AM on 6-17-2009
The UI is sweet but its missing a contacts list. its annoying to have to remember everyones dopey twitter names. I like to choose from a contacts list like w/ Twitterfon.
Reply
tevetorbes said 9:29AM on 6-17-2009
There is apparently a Cocoa version of TweetDeck coming out for the desktop, no? Until then, I won't be installing it on my mac.
As for the iPhone client, I think it's great. I'll probably be using Twitterrific on my Mac and TweetDeck on my iPhone for the time being.
Nice app.
Reply
LongshotX said 9:58AM on 6-17-2009
Twitter is boring.
Reply
askanenemy said 10:18AM on 6-17-2009
Hey Tim, I noticed you mentioned a concern of yours was TweetDeck taking up your whole screen. My solution to that is using WindowShade X. It brings back the the shading. Here's my review of it just incase you give it some consideration.
http://askanenemy.squarespace.com/bloggin/2009/1/6/review-windowshadex-42-for-mac-osx-leopard.html
Reply
askanenemy said 10:22AM on 6-17-2009
TweetDeck's not a bad app, I like it's ability to update Facebook and Twitter simultaneously, but also either or. I don't see a point to seeing @ replies on Facebook when your friends are completely different on both sites.
Reply
Rohan said 10:27AM on 6-17-2009
I like the app except I cant find "Recent trends" / "Hot topics"
Reply
askanenemy said 10:25AM on 6-17-2009
Sorry one more thing, TweetDeck is a resource hog, maybe due to Adobe AIR, but it takes up as much as Safari, while Tweetie not nearly as much.
Reply