Okay Geek Farm
TweetBot for iPhone - Review
Brandon Davenport
TapBots have been the creative minds behind some of the best apps ever created for Apple’s iPhone, including PasteBot, ConvertBot and CalcBot. Now they’re hatching a new experience called TweetBot, their first Twitter client for iPhone. Sure, it’s a first release and it is missing a few things and has a few bugs, but TapBot’s new app has been taking the world by storm since the day it was released.
TweetBot Initial Impressions and Experiences
When first I heard the news about TweetBot I didn’t really think much of it. It seems like there’s a new Twitter app announced every week and the fact that there was one more didn’t really affect me in any way.
The thing that captured my interest though was the amount of people that started talking about it, and people I knew, my friends. I decided to venture out and see it for myself, and was initially turned off by the seemingly “over designed” interface, crazy gradients, and ignored it for a day. Only when it reached #5 in the App Store, I knew I had to investigate, and I wouldn’t ever regret doing so.
After installing and launching TweetBot I signed in to my Twitter account and was greeted by an unfamiliar sight — a really clever “instruction booklet” of sorts that explained some of the unique features the app had to offer. After that I knew I was in for a fresh and new experience, and so far I had been just tickled with geek-joy and I couldn’t stop playing with it.
The interface, which initially seemed too busy and over-designed in iTunes screenshots really came to life and made sense once it was running on my iPhone. It was fluent, it made sense and I was just drooling at the subtle interface bells and whistles and the immense attention to detail. The interface was growing on me and that wasn’t even half of the joy.
There was much more to this app than I had realized during my first half-hour of playing with it. The cute little sound effects were just fantastic and the way the app moved complimented the sounds in ways I cannot describe. I found myself pulling and releasing to refresh just so I could hear that little “Scri-scratch” and tapping different buttons just to hear the clicky sounds. It’s amazing what happens when great UI work and well designed audio come together. It’s simply fantastic.
Also, the app is fast, and I really mean that. I haven’t once experienced that “come on, load!” moment and it’s a huge relief since the official Twitter app has lately been nothing less than bat-crap slow. I mean, it has gotten to a point where I reverted back to Tweetie - and now I am for the first time using a deserving 5 star Twitter application that everyone should experience.
TweetBot in Action - Video
“Yes, Tweetbot has all the polish and shine you’ve come to expect from a Tapbots app, but that’s not enough to convince everyone to try it. We needed to bring something new to the table” - TapBots
What rocks about TweetBot — I can without a doubt in my mind say that this app is one of the best, if not the best Twitter app ever created for any Apple device. The marriage of a beautiful user interface, easy to understand help and support (tips, how to’s and troubleshooting), and the great sound quirks make this a work of art. I honestly still can’t believe what this app offers, and how TapBots managed to polish it so well.
The unique ability to use lists as timelines is a really important feature for people who follow a lot of people, and no other app I know of offers that. Also, I have to echo my love for the built in tutorials and help section, and especially the little introduction you flip through when you first start the app. It’s pretty clear a lot of care went into creating TweetBot.
What sucks about TweetBot — Two big things that are missing: Native push notifications and Landscape mode. Now, TapBots do have the relevant argument that their new app is currently version 1.0 and since it’s an initial release things could be missing or “not added yet”. What doesn’t make sense is the “Landscape” feature; I mean that is pretty much a given in any app that ever graces the App Store, but out of respect for their design process, I understand they put a little more work into this kind of thing (reworking the UI elements for a different orientation).
///5///
In Summary
TweetBot is a great app and there’s nothing out there as elegantly designed. There are a few things missing and there are a few minute features that could be improved, but the people have spoken and given it a 5 star rating on iTunes and it’s climbed to #5 on the charts (as of April 14th). If you’re looking for the Twitter app that you’ll fall in love with, TweetBot is the one and don’t look any further — Also, pull up your pants Twitter, you’re embarrassing yourself.
Download — TweetBot for iPhone on the App Store ($1.99)
Learn More — TweetBot official website
