TweetDeck for iPhone Mini Review
With so many different applications for twitter it’s hard to decide which one is best and to be honest which one is best for me may not be best for you.
If you use TweetDeck on your desktop computer then the mobile version may be right up your street, as long as you have an iPhone or iPod Touch of course!
The mobile version of the app is pretty much identical to the desktop version and will allow you to perform the same functions.
And the good news is it’s free!
Like the desktop version, TweetDeck comprises of various columns that can be customised. Not in appearance but which columns are present and in which order you see them.
As standard you get three columns, pictured above. These comprise of All Friends, Mentions and Direct Messages. Getting from one column to another is achieved by a simple swipe either to the left or right.
You will notice that the tabs at the top and bottom of the screen stay where they are irrespective of which column you are on.
Taking a closer look at the tabs at the bottom of the screen you will see these consist of updates, refresh, columns, mark seen and more.
The interesting part here is the columns tab. This is where you can add a columns and it can be for anyone on twitter. That way you can always see any tweets that contain @that person. Great for being nosey but also great if you manage more than one account. I have the @tracyandmatt set up as a column so I can jump in and reply if required.
The other tab which is slightly more in depth is the settings one.
This is where you can make more in depth settings changes and add accounts etc.
At the top right of the screen in the home columns you will see a yellow symbol. This is where you tap to create a new tweet.
If you have TweetDeck set up to handle more than one account you have the option on screen to select which account you are tweeting from (you will see under new status it says jpr7373 and also tracyandmatt).
Above the iPhone keyboard are a further row of icons. These allow you to add friends, add photos, enable geo tagging and my favourite is the one on the far right, This allows you to switch into landscape more, which is how I prefer to type.
As you can see the interface is simple, straight forward and a pleasure to use.
Below you will see how a tweet looks if you select one from the homscreen columns. At the top beside the persons photo and name you have the option to view additional info about them by pressing the arrow.
The onscreen options are dead easy and as you can see a reply or a retweet is a mere screen tap away.
If the tweet you are viewing contains a link you are taken to the web browser but it is still shown within the TweetDeck application.
This is clearly done so as not to close the app as the iPhone and iPod Touch do not multitask. You do however have the option (bottom right) to be taken into Safari. Whist browsing within TweetDeck multi touch works but rotating to landscape mode does not. Lets hope the new iPhone due in a few months sorts that out. I suspect it may!
Conclusion:
I hope you can see why I like using TweetDeck. As I said in the introduction to the review, there are many options for Twitter apps on the iPhone but I like to use this as it feels like an extension of my PC. I wish a lot of other PC applications were the same on the mobile versions.
TweetDeck can be found in the app store. Go have a try. Although you don’t have to if you don’t want to!
Posted by: James
No Trackbacks.