So I went and bought an iPhone in January. The main reason for switching away from my reliable network at Verizon was the wide variety of applications available. Carrying the iPhone was like carrying a mini computer around. Since I don’t spend a lot of time talking on the phone, only having text messages and applications [useful and not] seemed like a great idea. I don’t regret the decision to switch, even if it means a few dropped calls here and there with the parents.
Ever since I started using the phone and downloading applications, I’ve been meaning to write reviews of the applications downloaded. Once the reviews are written, I’m deleting the apps I’m not actually using. I hate the clutter!
For this first review, I went ahead and found four free Twitter applications. For the most part, you can do the same things within each application. So I’ll just focus on what I like/don’t like about each.
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TwitterFon from Naan Studio: This is my favorite of the bunch. It loads quickly and is very easy to use. It’s fairly simple in design and doesn’t clutter the page. You input your account information on the Settings page, and you are set. Clicking on an individual Tweet brings you to the user info page. If there are links within the tweet, clicking on the tweet on the user info page will bring you to all the links in the tweet. I like that it doesn’t open up into a new browser, and you can easily navigate your way back to TwitterFon.
Let’s see. What else? There are no advertisements. It’s open source. While your Twitter page will only show the most recent tweets, you have the option to load all stored Tweets. I also like that you have the option of setting it to scroll to the first unread tweet on the page. The background color for the tweet is different, so that you know which ones are new. Makes for easy following. NEAT.
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Twitterific from Iconfactory: First off, a cute icon! They try to be user-friendly by having helpful hints that pop up with instructions on how to use the application. Double-clicking takes you to individual Tweets. You can scroll through these individual tweets by sliding along the page. It’s an option to have, but I think for me, the list view is more useful. There is a mini browser within the application, which allows for browsing while you’ve got the application open. However, there’s also the option of opening up a page in Safari.
Twitterific Premium is $9.99, which seems a little hefty for a Twitter application. There are advertisements in the free version, but they are not so annoying that I’d readily spend $9.99, even if it was to support artists and developers. I’ve read other reviews. It’s not significantly different from the free version.
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Twinkle from Tapulous: Again, cute icon. When you turn your iPhone sideways, a world map pops up, showing the latest tweets. It does a live update as it receives each of the tweets, which is neat to watch. I like that there’s a whole network of Twinkle users in addition to the people on Twitter that you can send messages to, even though I’d probably not use the option. The application is more colorful than the others and has cute little chat bubbles, which is alright, but doesn’t really add value.
There is one thing I don’t like though. It doesn’t show all of your tweets. If you have a lot of them and you haven’t been checking them, they don’t all show up on the page. I don’t know which ones are included for viewing… As of 13 hours ago, the response from Tapulous is that the number of tweets displayed, as well as tweets already read, are not YET an option. Sounds like there will be more changes coming. For now though, I’m not all that intrigued by the fancy colors and twinkling.
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Twittelator from Stone Design: This was a last minute download as I hadn’t heard of it until today. Of the four, the name of this application is the one I like least… The Groups page is rather plain looking, but it takes you to: Friends’ Tweets, My Tweets, My Replies, Everyone’s Tweets, Featured Tweeters, Bookmarks, etc. The pages are simple and not too cluttered. Pleasant to the eye. You have the option of sliding your finger along the screen to scroll, OR use the down arrow.
There is a paid version of this application – Twittelator Pro for $4.99. It’s got Dingbats fonts you can add to your tweets, several themes you can apply to the application, and sub-groups for quick messages to a group of friends.
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After trying all four of these out, it’s clear which one is my pick – Twitterfon. I wanted something simple and functional. I wanted something quick and sleek. I didn’t need the fancy bells and whistles. But who knows? Others might.
Now to delete the excess!
In case none of the four are appealing, I’ve also heard good things about Tweetie too.
Not an update to 101 in 1001 Days, sadly. Apparently somewhere along the way, I took “buy rain boots and go splashing in the rain” off my list! 
Anyone in need of a senior accountant, accounting manager, or an assistant controller? Those are just job titles. I’m a Number Muncher! Remember that game? Hah!
Another weekend came and went. They never seem long enough. We had a few days of sunshine at the end of the week, but by today, RAIN! It’s the kind that comes and goes without warning. One second, it will be dry. The next, it’s pouring buckets. So unpredictable. RV’s lent me his car for the week again, just to be on the safe side. 4WDing through puddles, while requiring more gas] is much safer than sliding around in the Prius.
With a new phone, I’m not surprised to receive a few random calls from contacts of the last person who had that number. However, on a whim, I looked up one of the numbers that called me this morning. [