Aug 20, 2010
Tweetdeck for Android has arrived! Users of the desktop client should be familiar with the features that Tweetdeck offers:
Ease of use
Multiple accounts
Columns of tweets
Speed
The Tweetdeck for Android incorporates many of these features, but lacks polish and usability that will hopefully arrive in the full release. Here’s the rundown on what works with the app, and what didn’t.
What works:
This app is very easy to set up. I am an avid desktop Tweetdeck user, and logging into my Tweetdeck account from the app immediately populated the app with all my accounts and followers. Multiple Twitter accounts, Facebook, Buzz, and Foursquare are all supported.
The app is attractive. The colors are pleasant, the buttons are big and attractively laid out, and when viewing tweet with a linked photo, the picture will automatically appear.
Tweeting from one or multiple accounts simultaneously couldn’t be easier. When a user is on the screen where they type in their tweet, there is a set of toggle switches along the top, so one can simple “toggle on” that Twitter name, and the tweet will be sent out under that, or any other name, that is “switched on.” It would appear there is room for five twitter accounts. I only have three- so maxing out was not a problem.
I loved what I’ll call “the friend grid.” You, like most Twitter users, are following a lot of people, but there are only a handful of people you follow that you actually want to read consistently. The “friend grid” allows you to have quick, one-button access to twelve different accounts you follow, see their timeline, favorites, number following/followers, and more. I really appreciated this feature.
Adding a photo or location to a tweet couldn’t be easier, with big, bold buttons.
What doesn’t work:
The fonts are too big. Granted, it was very readable, but only fitting three tweets on the screen (vs. Twitdroyd’s six) made for a lot of scrolling.
There are no settings. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. You can’t change the notifications, you can’t change, well, pretty much anything.
It’s not very stable. For example, when trying to view who are certain people were following, the app showed a “loading” symbol, but would never load. A certain points the app would crash consistently.
There is no URL shortening in-app.
There are no widgets.
Did I mention there are ZERO settings?
Tweetdeck will be the first to admit that this application is half-baked. That’s why it is not available in the Android App Store at the moment. It felt more like an alpha, than a beta app. It does though, show incredible potential. Even at it’s current state, it bests the official Twitter app. With added stability, settings, widgets, and a few more features, this app will rival the best out there, and will easily become what you tweet from on the go consistently.
