New app for iPad bests all previous iPad apps for using Twitter

Twitter iPad

Twitter has released their own free iPad application that is better than Twitterific the previous gold standard app.

This heralds a new phase in Twitter’s life, taking back control of their application. This month Twitter implemented an API that forces all other applications to reload their code. Twitter will soon be rolling out push updates with SMS.

Twitter is the 140 character blog. Stories or messages have to be that length so it has forced everyone to be terse.  Of course, the deal is to link your followers back to the full story but most people don’t bother.

Even with only a few hundred people to “follow” you can get more than 100 messages an hour.

Reading Tweets and sending them is one of best apps on the iPad. Scrolling through the latests Tweets with one finger makes the task relaxing and fun.  

Twitter iPad opening screen

What’s new with Twitter for iPad

It’s faster. With Twitterific, I am often waiting for the icons to load to see if the Tweet is from a trusted source. Some days that can take an agonizing 15 to 30 seconds on Twitterific.

The first screen has a narrow left hand column with the main tasks: timeline, @mentions, lists, messages, your profile and search.  Clicking in the left panel at any time refreshes the screen back to this.

Simply scroll through the Tweets with your finger.

If you stop and touch the icon or name of the Twitterer, a third panel opens up on the right with their profile card. Touch the link and the story appears on the right. The first two columns shrink making room for the text, pictures, video or whatever.

Can can re-tweet it to your followers, Like it on Facebook, follow the links deeper. Virtually anything that Twitter does in a browser only it’s easier on Twitter iPad,  once you get used to the icons and navigation.

Twitter iPad with story frame pushed smaller

If you scroll the Tweet list (middle column), the right panel stays static which allows you to return to it. The moment you click on another person or Tweet, it changes.

To get more Tweets, pull down on the panel momentarily.

To see what you missed since your last session, Twitter has a zig-zag pattern on the screen. Click on it and the missed Tweets are there. However, it’s hard to go back with everything happening in Twitter-time.

Tired of all that screen clutter? Push the right panel to a smaller size with a swish of the story column.

Want to get rid of the story althogether? Touch the left action panel and it’s gone for now.

What’s missing?

The program works along two axis  – vertical for Tweets and horizontal for more or less. Considering the graphic nature of the iPad, the Twitter App is still rigid. You can’t grab and object and put it somewhere else on the screen – up down or sideways.

Free movement is what Apple advertises for the iPad but when you use it it’s clear that hasn’t been implemented in too many apps.

Twitter for iPad is free and available from the iTunes Store.