Oct 14, 2009
Tweetie 2 just took the iPhone Twitter world by the storm. Within a few hours of it’s release in the App Store, Tweetie 2 climbed to the top 5 paid apps and it is still No. 4 in paid apps and Top 2 in Top Grossing apps!
That’s quite a feat. My blogging curiosity got the better off me with the buzz of its release and I bought it so I can see what it’s all about.
Here are my first impressions after using it a few weeks. I haven’t used the first version of Tweetie so some of these features may not be new to Tweetie 2. Also, as I promised to @pinot on Twitter, I have added a short comparison to SimplyTweet at the end.
I won’t bore you with all the things Tweetie 2 could as that is quite a list. You could see a full list at the iTunes app page. I will highlight the ones I think that sets it apart. 
Tweetie 2 Features
- Handles multiple Twitter accounts seamlessly
- Full persistence – caching tweets plus restores the full UI even after quitting
- Offline mode – read timeline, favorite, follow, save to Instapaper. It syncs back as soon as you are online
- Drafts manager saves your tweets and you can even send it to Birdhouse
- Full landscape support
- Live Twitter filter in timeline, mentions & messages
- Pull the UI down to refresh
- Link Twitter contacts to your iPhone Contacts
- Follow, unfollow, block from multiple account simultaneously
- Edit your Twitter profile
- Swipe timeline to get reply, retweet, favorite, send and profile options
Tweetie 2 was full of little interface suprises and it has been a pleasure to use. It is no surprise it won the 2009 Apple Design Award. Tweetie 2 has rich integration with popular services, packed with features without feeling bloated.
The interface is minimal but very elegantly done and easy on your eyes. Here are a few hidden tips i have been discovering as I use it.
Tweetie 2 Tips
- The pull-down refresh option is very ingenious.
- The double tap to mark all your messages as read is cool.
- When you are 2 levels deep timeline –> tweet –> user, simply swipe left to right on the back button to return straight to timeline.
- And when you are in the message or mentions single tweet view, just swipe up or down to read the previous or next tweet.
SimplyTweet vs Tweetie 2
SimplyTweet definitely has a few things going for it over Tweetie 2. First and foremost is it has built-in Push notifications in SimplyTweet. Whereas with Tweetie 2, you need another push notification app like Boxcar.
HootSuite integration, built-in photo viewer, replies in conversation views, etc are some features that SimplyTweet stands out with. You can read a complete SimplyTweet review here.
As much as Tweetie 2 has been the buzz lately, I look at SimplyTweet as the hidden gem in the App Store. It is feature packed and works very well.
Tweetie 2 or SimplyTweet are going to come out with updates as Twitter evolves and it is going to be hard to call out a winner.
At the moment, whichever one you choose to purchase you are bound to be one happy camper. Me, I am going to continue to use both alternatively to keep you updated as new versions come out.
So, if you were a Tweetie user, was it worth the $2.99 upgrade? And if you came from another client, what is your take on Tweetie 2. Please feel free to add your views in the comments.
Screenshots
Rating: 4.5 stars
Availability: App Store [iTunes link]
Price: $2.99
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