I’ve always had an inclination to use a desktop client to access to my Web accounts. For tweet purpose, I’ve tried Birdy, but this Twhirl did gave me a different user experience in some ways.
Twhirl is a social software client, currently supports both Windows and Mac Operating System, and users could install and use it to access their Twitter, Friendfeed, identi.ca, as well as Seesmic accounts. In order to use Twhirl, you’ll need to download Adobe AIR runtime. One of the advantages in building a software on top of Adobe AIR runtime is that it is a cross-platform kinda of technologies, so that when next time you want to release your app (application) in the Linux system, it’ll support your app.
In matter of fact, Twhirl was developed by a highly caliber German developer Marco Kaiser and eventually being bought by Seesmic. Read the 20 reasons why Seesmic acquired Twhirl I came to realize that the acquisition of Twhirl is a good buy, and the key person behind Seesmic Loic even stated that he want to grow this Twhirl as a new Skype for micro blogging. Note that the price of acquisition is not disclosed to the public by Seesmic until now.
Twhirl provide lots of additional features that Twitter users normally wouldn’t find that in their Web-based Twitter accounts. It’s a cliche to say that when you improve something from an existing app, it will makes your app more favorable in the market, and most people can accept that it’s generally true. On Twhirl, besides the aforesaid few Web services support, users can post their status updates to Pownce or Jaiku. Part of the reasons what makes a user enjoying this Twhirl is the options of the configuration feature. After you adding your Twitter account on this Twhirl, you can set your opacity level of this client, text font size, play a “Ding” sound when there’s a new pop-up tweet arise, or even show a notification window when you’re replying someone’s tweet.
Twhirl has significant simple interface, as all of the familiar functions such as arrays of tweets, replies, directs, etc. are available as tabs for you to choose for. Though users at first play might not familiar with all of the icons, but I think in overall it will not discourage users from using it. Personally, in my first trial, I think the best part of this Twhirl is the built-in of search capabilities through the Twitter Search and TweetScan. Some other notable features are the color changes of the client, post image to TwitPic, mark tweets as seen, shorten URL through snurl, is.gd, or twurl, just to name a few. In short, I can say that the interface use the available space in an extremely well and effectively.
Twhirl can be considered as a leading desktop client in the race of the best Twitter applications, but it has competitor as well, the closest is Alert Thingy.
Update: September 9, 2008
