Apple Mac HQ

After downloading Twitterrific for iPhone, I thought it would be my Twitter app of choice.  The interface is great and the app looks very appealing.  Tweetie 2 has changed all this.

There are many great features within Tweetie 2.  Multiple Twitter accounts can be logged into simultaneously.  Tweets can be viewed offline by caching them or sending them to Instapaper.

Sometimes I want to just put down my thoughts before tweeting them.  Drafts can be done within the app instead of using an app like Birdhouse.  If you use Birdhouse, drafts can be sent from Tweetie 2 to Birdhouse.

My favorite feature is that Tweetie 2 can show nearby tweets on a list or map.  It is great to see exactly where and who is tweeting near you.  Seeing local tweets is more interesting to me.  It feels like I have more a connection with people that live in my area versus them living far away.

There are a few downsides to the newest Tweetie.  There are no push notifications, which mean constantly checking Tweetie 2 to see if new tweets have arrived.  Alternatively, an iPhone app like Notifications (iTunes link) can be used to send push notifications when a new tweet appears for you.  The appearance of Tweetie 2 is rather plain looking.  It is not an eyesore, but more attention could have been made to make it look better.  Also, Tweetie 2 is not available for Mac yet, which is unfortunate because it will be great to see how the Mac and iPhone versions work together.

Much has been made over the pricing of Tweetie 2.  It costs $2.99 whether or not the previous version was purchased.  What is controversial is that some people feel there should be free upgrades if the original Tweetie was bought.  This view is rather troubling.  Tons of hard work goes into developing apps and developers should be rewarded with pay if they want to charge for their software.  Certain things probably should not be charged for, such as bug patches.  Overall though, if there are feature upgrades that are worthy of payment, by all means consumer should pay for them if they want the features instead of feeling entitled to free upgrades for life.

The price of Tweetie 2 is not high.  The developer, Loren Britcher of Atebits, is not forcing users to upgrade from the original Tweetie.  Britcher was on a Macworld podcast talking about this issue and will be providing support for the first Tweetie “for the foreseeable future.”

Tweetie 2 is compatible with iPhone OS 3.0 and above is available now (iTunes link).

When I first started using Twitter, I used the website and text messages. Later on I started using Hahlo when I accessed Twitter on my iPhone, and Twitterrific when using my Macbook Pro. I’ve recently stopped using Twitterrific on my Mac and have started using a new Twitter client named Nambu.

Nambu has changed the way I interact with Twitter. You can see a picture of Nambu in use below.

What’s so great about Nambu?

• It’s free
• Multiple account support
• Easily view DM’s, @replies, and Favorites
• Threaded @replies
• Ability to group people to more easily view tweets
• Link organization
• Tr.im support
• And more!

What I like so much about Nambu is that you can easily slice up your Twitter stream nearly any way you like. If you are only following a few people, Nambu may be overkill. If you have multiple accounts, are following many people, or have a very active stream, you should really give Nambu a try.

One cool section of the Apple website that you may not know about is the profiles section. On a semi-regular basis, Apple showcases companies or people and how they use Apple technology. There are two of these sections, one for Pro and the other is Business.

Recently, Apple profiled the hottest company on earth, Twitter. The profile on Twitter talks about some of the Apple technology they use and mention some third-party software tools too. If you’re interested in seeing some of the Twitter office and reading about how the company uses technology, you should read the profile.

One of my favorite profiles from the Pro section is the Washington Post. The Washington Post profile is in video form too!

[Via Daring Fireball]

If you’re on Twitter, you can get the latest Apple news right in your Twitter stream. Just follow @applemachq. Unlike some blogs, I’m not going to post updates like “hey, check out my new post” everyday. You might occasionally see a tweet like that, but that will be the exception rather than the rule. Instead, I’m going to try to feed you tidbits of information that I might otherwise not mention here on the blog. I’m likely to tweet when I’ve found a cool new app or heard the latest Apple news. That’s the kind of stuff you’ll see on the Apple Mac HQ twitter stream. So go ahead, follow @applemachq on twitter!

Patrick Wilson, from the band Weezer, was on MacBreak Weekly (iTunes link) last week (Episode 82). As you would expect, there is talk about iTunes, the music industry, music video creation, and other tidbits related to music. It was really interesting to hear Patrick’s thoughts on these subjects.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me is finding out what a big geek (in a good way) Patrick is. He’s sporting a Ubuntu PC! Patrick shares his thoughts on the record companies, Myspace, his Mac/Studio setup, and really lets his inner geekness shine. The guys even talked him into signing up on Twitter. Episode 82 was easily the most enjoyable episode of MBW in quite some time. If you haven’t listened in a while, check it out!