It’s not often that I write about iPhone apps, but there are a few reasons why I want to point out SimplyTweet [iTunes links: free or paid]. First, I have to say that it hasn’t gotten nearly the amount of recognition that it deserves. It has one of the largest set of features out of any of the Twitter clients on the iPhone. If you decide to spring for the $4.99 version you’ll even get push notifications for mentions or direct messages, which is surprisingly something very few Twitter apps offer at this point.
The thing that originally drew me to SimplyTweet was one particular feature that I had been longing for. I wanted a way to load all of the unread tweets regardless of how many that was. Yes, I realize that the Twitter API has a restriction on how many requests can be made each hour, but if I want to max out those requests then, well, do it. And SimplyTweet does. It won’t load just 100 or 200 tweets, it will load as many tweets as it needs to in order to get back to the point where I left off. So when I go for 8-10 hours without loading the app it will grab all 400-500 tweets that I have yet to read. This is, of course, optional.
The main reason, however, that I wanted to cover the app is because of the developer himself. I’ve interacted with a lot of application developers for desktop apps, iPhone apps, and websites. I do my best to give useful feedback, and often reach out to my friends to get their feedback as well. I’ve also been involved in a good number of Beta programs for iPhone apps including the one for SimplyTweet. What makes this developer stand out is that he promptly responds to feedback. I’ve made several recommendations and requests, and the developer has acknowledged all of them… regardless of whether it was over his Twitter account or through email. His responses, however, weren’t just the common “that’s a great idea and we’ll look into adding it.” I’m pretty sure all of the things I’ve asked for have been implemented at this point, and, heck, some of the things I asked for were things that were already in the app but I just didn’t realize it.
The only other thing I want to see this app include is the ability to cache tweets. That way if I open SimplyTweet to load up my tweets, close the app, and reopen it all of the tweets will still be there without having to fetch them again. There are a few apps that do this, but SimplyTweet loads them fast enough that it doesn’t bother me too much. It would still be nice to have though.
I’ve bought other iPhone apps like BirdFeed, Twittelator, and Tweetie. Most of them have their own niceties, but SimplyTweet takes the cake. Robert Scoble also seems to agree.
SimplyTweet [iTunes links: free or paid]
very interesting app, the push notification sounds great..
Any option for a youtube video to ‘see’ the app ?
[youtube.com]
I also really like the badges that tell you how many tweets are left to read…and that they count down as you scroll.
I wish other clients had this feature.
Nice article!
I think the Twitter client landscape has really changed in 2010. New approaches and design strategies have yielded some remarkable new Twitter clients.
TvvitterBug 1.3 is currently in the approval process for release on the App Store this week. This release brings together the culmination of all the features, capabilities, and functionality most sought after in an iPhone/iPod Twitter App, including:
1. All of the power you want, without the complexity you don’t.
2. Five (TvvitterBug exclusive) user-customizable Tweet Views.
3. Up to Five user accounts easily accessible from any view.
4. Persistent Tweets between launchings so you can view your tweets anytime.
5. Double-Tap Instant Update to easily and quickly refresh your tweet views on demand.
6. Built-in Photo capabilities to add photos directly to your tweets.
7. Built-in Translation support using any of the state-of-the-art web translation engines you choose, such as Google Translate, Yahoo Babelfish, or Promt Translator.
8. Built-in Web Access to view tweet embedded pictures and other URLs.
9. Editable User Profile, including setting a new Avatar picture.
10. Support for both “Fixed” and “Editable” Retweets – your choice.
11. Landscape support for both Views and Keyboard.
12. Automatic Language detection and display – great when you’re surfing!
13. The same ease-of-use and lightning fast operation as the original version.
I think your readers would be interested in learning more about TvvitterBug from your review.