If you like using Twitter and have a Palm Pre or Pixi, you're in luck: there are currently SIX full-featured Twitter apps available for webOS. They are all very different, and suit different needs. These choices can be a bit overwhelming, but fear not! Totally Palmed has got your back. I own and have used all of these apps extensively, so I can pass my impressions on to you. Hopefully it helps you make a decision, based on your needs. These apps are listed in the order that I downloaded them. Have a look, after the break!
1) "Tweed" by Pivotal Labs: Currently the most popular webOS Twitter app, Tweed gives you a clean but very powerful interface. It's not the sexiest looking app out there, but is certainly one of the most powerful apps available, giving you the ability to do multiple card searches (ala Tweetdeck), direct posting of pictures (paid version), conversation view, saved searches, multiple accounts, landscape mode, shake-to-refresh searches, URL shrinking, live notifications... with few exceptions, if you name it, Tweed does it. One feature I've come to love: Tweed is the only app where you can STOP a connection, should it get "stuck."
Full version: $2.99
PROS:
- Tons of powerful features. Supports lists.
- The ONLY Twitter app that allows you to edit your followers
- Live notifications even with app closed
- Multiple card searches
- Screen still accessible while connecting
- Can CANCEL connection if it gets stuck
- Free trial version available
CONS:
- Saved searches don't save to Twitter, only within Tweed
- Notifications buggy for some users
2) "Twee" by Delicious Morsel: The folks at Delicious Morsel have indeed cooked up a delicious Twitter app that has been a huge hit with many users. Sporting a sexy interface with a scrolling bottom slider, Twee is not short on powerful features, either. It does pretty much everything that Tweed does, but does not do multiple card searches (yet). Still, it does other things that Tweed doesn't, such as thumbnail previews of pictures so you don't have to tap on a picture link to see it. Some people have complained Twee can have lag issues.
Full version: $2.99
PROS:
- Beautiful interface
- Live notifications even with app closed
- Remembers your place in timeline
- Powerful features with extra goodies. Supports lists.
- Searches save to Twitter
- Free trial version available
CONS:
- Occasional lag issues
- No multiple card searches
- Can't see original message when replying to it
- Some tasks require more taps than they should
3) "Spaz" by Funkatron Productions: Spaz is the only open-source Twitter app for the Palm Pre, and currently the only one that is FREE. Spaz sports a very attractive face and a unique browsing experience: your entire timeline and replies to you are shown in one window, which is nice if you don't like switching from page to page. Spaz also supports powerful functions like multiple card searches (like Tweed) and thumbnail previews (like Twee). A recent update brought direct photo uploading, saved searches, and cool features like sharing of tweets via SMS and email (the only client to support this). Funkatron Productions has also promised a "skins" feature with future updates. The UI is nice but can be choppy, and some have complained of lag issues if the app is left open for a long time.
Full version: FREE (limited time)
PROS:
- FREE!
- Multiple card searches
- Share tweets via SMS and email (unique to Spaz)
- Searches save to Twitter
- Timelines, direct messages, and replies in same window (if desired)
- Thumbnail previews of posted pictures
CONS:
- Lags if timeline is long
- Memory leak issues
- Accidental backswipe takes you to the account login screen (minor gripe)
- Can't see full-size user profile pics (you know you want to!)
4) "TinyTwitter" by Tiny Byte Software: If you feel the need for SPEED, then TinyTwitter is your app. This app is easily the cheetah of the animal kingdom of webOS Twitter apps, with incredibly fast loading/posting times and scrolling speeds. No lag issues here! Unfortunately, TinyTwitter is fast because it packs light: it's just a bare-bones Twitter app without fancy features, even some basic ones like searching!
Price: $1.99
PROS:
- Fastest Twitter client for webOS
- Consumes very little resources
- Can be left open all day without any lag issues
CONS:
- Very bare-bones Twitter client... can't even SEARCH!
- No photo uploading. At all.
- No free trial version available
5) "Yak" by JM Productions: Yak is a pretty standard Twitter app, which provides all of the important features you would expect a full-featured Twitter client to have. It’s fast, supports lists, and is easy to use. A recent update made it even easier to use. However, when compared to the other powerful webOS Twitter clients, nothing makes app truly stand out, and the price seems a bit high. Still, if simplicity and all the basic necessities are what appeal to you, you may find the cost justified. Price: $2.99
PROS:
- Very easy to use
- Fast and smooth scrolling
- All the basic functions most people need
- Small memory footprint
CONS:
- Access to searching unintuitive (have to click "trends")
- Slight lag switching between timelines
- No free trial version available
6) “Bad Kitty” by Superhuman Industries: Bad Kitty is the newest entrant into the wild world of webOS Twitter clients, and it’s a breath of fresh air. I had the privilege of beta-testing this app, and was very impressed by the commitment of its developers: they’re really energized about their product. Bad Kitty offers the user a unique interface, is full-featured, and fast… I’m talking Tiny Twitter fast! However, the app is still a bit raw: there’s no trending topics, nearby tweets, native picture viewer, or notifications, and navigation is a bit… janky. Still, of all the Twitter clients, this one seems to have the best feature:speed ratio I have seen to date. If you want a well-established Twitter client, perhaps you should steer clear of this one, but not forever: while it currently has a ways to go in development, it’s getting there fast. PROS:
- Very fast
- Unique interface
- Conversation thread
- Thumbnail previews of posted pictures
- Searches save to Twitter
CONS:
- Still a bit green
- A couple navigation miscues
- No multiple card searches
- No free trial version available
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6) "Fleet Tweet" by 8-bit development: Don't care what other people have to say? Do you want to be the one who does all the tweeting? Meet Fleet Tweet, a very basic FREE (read: ad-supported) Twitter client that does one thing: tweet! No loading feeds here. Curiously, this app DOES include features like direct photo uploading and buttons for exclamation marks and hashtags (#). This app is nice for those who need a tool to post frequent updates: tweets from a convention, concert, etc.
Price: FREE
PROS:
- FREE
- Fast
- Direct photo uploading
CONS:
- Ad-supported
7) Picture Tweet by Boa Pro Solutions: Like Fleet Tweet, this is another FREE (ad -supported) app that allows you to tweet only and send pictures too. The look and polish is nicer than Fleet Tweet, but Picture Tweet does lack Fleet Tweet's "advanced" functions of hashtag (#) and exclamation mark buttons (tongue in cheek). The same pros and cons apply.
PRICE: FREE
PROS:
- FREE
- Fast
- Direct photo uploading
CONS:
- Ad-supported
Posts
Cant figure out how to email you on here. But do you know how to change the ringtone for text messages?! The Raindance thing is really annoying.
ReplyDeleteHi! You can just follow me on Twitter. My handle is @vara411. Concerning the text messages, it's easy: open your messaging app in the main window. Tap the menu button in the upper left hand corner, go to preferences... I think you should be able to handle it from there. (I agree... raindance for a text has gotta be annoying as hell!) :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this. I was thinking about doing the same myself and am glad to see that someone took care of it at least on a basic level.
ReplyDeleteA couple thoughts:
1. Tweed isn't the only one with a "Plain interface" - really it seems like all of them except Twee and Spaz (and Bad Kitty) fall under that category (which I think is a pro rather than a con. I like the consistency.)
2. Use of screen real estate - Yak, Spaz, and Twee all cover extra screen space with their bottom buttons (or at least largely obscure it). This is one of the things I like about Tweed; it leaves enough bottom space visible to get more use out of the Pre's small screen.
3. Tweed lets you click links directly from the main view rather than having to click to a zoomed view of the tweet.
Obviously I'm a little biased towards Tweed, but those were just a few considerations that I thought about in making my decision.
I use Tweed, I pretty like it so far. Upload photo or show the pin where I'm at, both are great tool.
ReplyDeleteI Like Twee! I like the way it looks and the way it works, no complaints..
ReplyDeleteDan,
ReplyDeleteI @replied to you on Twitter, but I'll mention it here too. The upcoming release of Spaz for webOS (there's also a desktop version that uses Asobe's AIR) supports direct photo uploading. Works dandy!
I've been using TweeFree. Works pretty well. No real benefit of going to the paid version, for me.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's a horrid typo. Adobe's AIR, it should read. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great summary on the Apps. So far I haven't bought any apps and perhaps my first one might be a twitter client. Though I'm currently using TweeFree for most of the tasks except photo uploading, for that task I use Tweed Free that uses the email application.
ReplyDelete@Neil ... you bring up very valid points! Thanks for contributing. I also added something to the blog on a feature that pretty much only Tweed does: allows you to still use the screen while Tweed is connecting AND allows you to cancel connecting. Spaz allows you to use the screen but I haven't found a way to cancel a connection.
ReplyDeleteThis comes in really handy if you move into a pocket without a signal, because otherwise you will be forced to either back out of what you were doing (e.g., lose your tweet), or even close the application. Twee and Yak are especially guilty of this.
Twee free does direct photo uploading.
ReplyDeleteI'm unable to find a source to download Tweed for my pixi. It does not show up in the app catalog, no matter what I search. I cannot find it online either. help!!
ReplyDelete