Freeware King of the Hill: TweetDeck Versus Four Twitter Apps!

Posted 01/19/2010 at 10:00am | by David Murphy

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I've been a stalwart user of TweetDeck for all my 140-character messaging needs for quite some time now. But that's the problem with having a favorite freeware program: Your devotion to a tried-and-true application could be preventing you from reaching out and discovering a program that does an even better job. I mean, TweetDeck--awesome as can be--sure isn't perfect. There are a few features I wish I could get my hands on and, conversely, a few features I wish I could excise from the program with one almighty keystroke.

So all this got me thinking. I cover a lot of apps in these weekly Freeware Files roundups. But apps typically go through a number of changes throughout their lifespans. For better or worse, not every app is always going to look like it does when it's been profiled in a Freeware Files column. And with new programs entering the freeware fray at all times, what's a great recommendation one day might turn out to be an average or dull recommendation the next.

So, instead of just profiling five different Twitter apps this week, I'm going to make this more of a challenge. TweetDeck has been a top Twitter application on the market for some time now. What has it been up to since we last took a look at the software. More importantly, what other apps have risen the occasion to challenge--or topple--this killer program?

The Champion: TweetDeck

Why does TweetDeck rock? Let me count the ways. For starters, this Adobe Air-based application does a great job of delivering a wide assortment of information in an easily navigable column layout. None of those floating boxes, or separate windows, or any of that junk--scanning through your Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn updates (or lists) is as easy as scrolling your many themed columns left and right. For Twitter, you can add new columns based on customized friend groups or keyword searches. You can also use the handy buttons at the bottom of each column to filter and erase seen Tweets, a lifesaver feature if you're trying to find a nugget of information in the middle of a huge Twitter pile.

TweetDeck automatically pulls new updates from your services based on intervals you set--ideal for when you're trying to balance out your Twitter API usage based on your own personal preferences (balancing the time between all friend updates and direct message checks, for example). Pop-up notification windows splash over your desktop when new information jumps into any of your feeds, which removes the need to check TweetDeck itself depending on how much information you receive with each update.

Download it here!

The Challenger: Blu

If you want a graphics-heavy Twitter client, it's hard to beat Blu. This super-pretty app makes the most of Windows' transparency features to deliver an elegant solution for Twitter-tracking to your desktop. Scrolling through your list of recent updates can be done via the normal scroll bar (which automatically pulls in later Tweets once you've reached the bottom of the window), or you can just "flick" through the interface as if your mouse cursor was a finger on your iPhone (or similar device). Selecting a list of "favorite" friends to follow in a separate section of Blu is as easy as clicking on a person's picture and selecting the giant heart icon. Yes, it's a heart icon.

The downside to Blu is that all of your information is locked in one single column. You can't resize Blu's window, which is a real stinker for those who want to make use of the larger screen real estate that big ol' monitors provide. If you have a ton of friends, be prepared to do a ton of scrolling in this app. Aside from your "faves" list, you really can't specify (or search for) additional Twitter categories.

Download it here!

The Challenger: Twitterfox

Here's an interesting one. Twitterfox isn't actually a separate program--it's an add-on for Mozilla's Firefox. That right there makes me a little suspicious about its ability to go up against TweetDeck as a general Twitter app, but enough people have been swearing by Twitterfox's usefulness that it warrants checking out. As expected, there's not a lot of general functionality built into this extension. You get three different tabbed columns for your Friends' updates, mentions of your Twitter handle, and direct messages. That's it.

Although this app of-sorts comes with no ability to add additional columns or segment your friends into groups, it is, by far, the fastest way to update Twitter. That's assuming, of course, that you're already using Firefox to browse the Web as you Tweet--a common occurrence, I wager. Shooting off new messages into the ether is as easy as clicking on the icon in Firefox's corner and typing away. You can insert the link of the current tab you're on by clicking on the chain key in Twitterfox's interface--no automatic URL shortening, however.

Download it here!

The Challenger: Digsby

Digsby? That Digsby? Yes, that Digsby. This all-in-one communications app has taken a little bit of flak for the various programs and configuration changes it can place on your system. However, I'm pleased to report that Digsby's installer is much more open about what it could potentially be doing to your PC. And, beyond that, Digsby has integrated Twitter into its all-in-one, AIM-style interface for every social network you're on.

Is it any good, though? Well, Digsby does allow you to categorize your Twitter followers--although this functionality is a wee hidden behind a menu in the pop-out Twitter display [author's note: changed to mention said categorization functionality, now that I've found it.] However, it is still super-easy to scan through a list of recent Twitter updates and, if you're interested, have these updates thrown out onto your desktop via a pop-up window the moment they occur. When that happens, you're given the option to immediately reply to or retweet said messages--a nice convenience. Given that Digsby will likely become the de-facto hub for all of your communications once you install it, the integrated Twitter functionality--while not superb--is still a pretty solid addition to an otherwise excellent cross-platform messenger.

Download it here!

The Challenger: Seesmic Desktop

I'll save the best for last. Or, at least, Seesmic Desktop is the one app I immediately think of when pondering Twitter clients that are as popular--and hopefully as feature-rich--as TweetDeck. So let's get down to it then. The first thing you'll notice about Seesmic Desktop's app (the for-Windows program, not the Adobe Air version) is its crispness--it's crispness and its transparency. Not only does Seesmic Desktop borrow the best elements of Windows inherent transparency features (if your rig can support it), but the app itself feels sharp when you interact with its various elements. There's little to no delay when switching between or modifying elements--TweetDeck can sometimes feel a bit sluggish when you're adding or removing columns, or scrolling through Tweets.

Although you can't add categories a la TweetDeck, you can use Twitter's built-in lists functionality to organize your own groupings of Twitter friends. These are super-easy to pull up and close down in Seesmic Desktop, and the application does support saved searches which mimics the categorization features of TweetDeck. Seesmic Desktop only supports Twitter as a service, although it does come with the same kind of pop-up notification functionality as TweetDeck for quick access to up-to-the-minute information.

Ladies and gentlemen... I think we've found a new champion!

Download it here!

The Bounty

Here's the deal. I want a Twitter app that goes back and pulls as many Tweets from my main feed as possible. I don't often have time to check Twitter throughout the day and frequently come home to find that I only can read the last two hours' or so worth of tweets. That's not cool--I want the whole enchilada. Find me an app that could theoretically let you scroll back through every single tweet in your timeline, and I'll reward you in some glorious fashion that may or may not include a Twitter-themed present as well as a personal shout-out in a Freeware Files column!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!