Battle of the Buyers: Part 1 – Twitter Clients

A special thanks to Jordan Gensler of Keen Studios for this article. Be sure to check out their website for other webOS applications!

Need to know which application is right for you? We know that in an ever-expanding market of webOS applications, you can get bogged down with all of the choices. The "Battle of the Buyers" series will help you pick what application is right for you.

While some of us view Twitter as a medium for posting narcissistic comments on the web, mostly containing what the poster is doing at that exact moment, most of the residents of the online-world view Twitter otherwise, and want to keep it updated wherever they are. Enter Tweed, Twee, Spaz, and Tiny Twitter; the current webOS twitter clients. Continue reading after the break where we break it down by application.

Tweed

The early users of webOS should remember Tweed, one of the first apps on the Palm Pre and currently most popular Twitter client on webOS. Tweed’s interface is clean and simple, though navigating through multiple accounts can occasionally be a pain. One of the key points in Tweed is its ability to upload photos directly to your favorite twitter image-hosting website. In a recent update, Tweed also introduced landscape viewing, which is a definite plus. Tweed costs $1.99, and has a free version of its twitter client as well, “Tweed Trial”, which will no longer receive updates. Tweed also features background notifications, which is a handy feature.

Spaz

Spaz is currently the understated Twitter app in the webOS app catalog. Due to it’s unclear name, icon, and strange description, most people disregard it. While it isn’t as feature-packed as Tweed, the UI is still clean and simple to navigate, and allows you to navigate through Twitter without an account.

TinyTwitter

TinyTwitter is one of the more recent additions into the webOS land of Twitter clients. While it’s interface is simple, it’s functionality is quite lacking. TinyTwitter will work okay for new Twitter users, but most people would prefer a more feature-filled alternate.

Twee

Twee is a popular Twitter client that originated from Homebrew at PreCentral.net. Twee’s interface is nothing short of stunning. It’s visuals and clear layout make navigation a breeze, and handling multiple account is the same. Twee was also the first twitter application on webOS to use landscape viewing. Additionally, Twee's notifications seem to work much better than the competition. Twee also features an iPhone-esque bottom navigation bar, which lets you quickly view your mentions, messages, and more in a clean and visual manner. Twee also supports direct picture uploads.

Conclusion

So which Twitter app should reign supreme? Well, after our thorough testing, we believe that Twee is currently the king of the webOS twitter kingdom. While it still lacks the following that Tweed has, Twee's interface is a thing of beauty that any frequent Twitter user could easily use. Twee also allows features many "goodies", such as nearby tweets and picture previews. Twee is available in the webOS App Catalog for $2.99, and it's less-featured sister app, "Twee Free" is also available in the webOS App Catalog for free.