{"id":326533,"date":"2010-02-16T11:00:38","date_gmt":"2010-02-16T16:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bbgeeks.com\/?p=4464"},"modified":"2010-02-16T11:00:38","modified_gmt":"2010-02-16T16:00:38","slug":"a-look-at-the-official-blackberry-twitter-client","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/326533","title":{"rendered":"A look at the official BlackBerry Twitter client"},"content":{"rendered":"

Late last week, RIM released its own official Twitter client in a private beta. Over the weekend I got to know it a bit better, and now I’m laying it all out in what you can call a pre-review. Since the app is not yet in its final form, I imagine much of what I discuss here will change between now and official release. Still, I came away with a positive overall impression. <\/p>\n

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Getting started<\/h4>\n

Normally this is where I’d send you to the download link so you can download the application. Since this is in a private beta, however, there’s no such site yet. You can head to blackberry.com\/twitter<\/a> and sign up to receive updates. Or you can follow us on Twitter, @BBGeeks<\/a>, and we’ll let everyone know when it’s available. <\/p>\n

Sending a tweet and pictures<\/h4>\n

Hardcore Twitter users eat up the advanced features some clients offer, but something tells me RIM is targeting a more casual audience. They’ve made the tweeting interface ridiculously easy. The update text box sits near the top of the home page, with a picture icon directly below it. When you click that it opens the your media browser, as you can see in the screenshot. Select or take a picture, add your text, and you’re good. It even deducts the URL length, about 40 characters, from your update count.<\/p>\n

Replies, direct messages, retweets<\/h4>\n

Again, performing any of the three above-mentioned tasks takes little effort with the RIM client. Scroll to the message you want to reply to or retweet, click the Menu button, and select the appropriate option from the menu. You also have the option to reply to all, in case there are multiple @s on in the tweet. Composing a direct message is the same process, only you choose Compose Message. <\/p>\n

Additionally, you can send a tweet to someone. Just select Send To, and you can it to a Twitter account, email, PIN, SMS, MMS, or Messenger contact. With email it fills out the subject for you as “Tweet from @username.” With SMS and MMS that line goes first in the message. Twitter messages can go via a tweet or direct message. Finally, Messenger contact allows you to select someone from your contact list.<\/p>\n

What makes the RIM client stand out is that direct messages go into your general messages app. You can then reply directly from there. To me, this makes DMs a little bit more valuable, as I can now reply to them the same as email. I would like to see the option to have @replies also delivered to the message app. <\/p>\n

Location<\/h4>\n

There don’t appear to be any location functions at this time on the client. <\/p>\n

Following and unfollowing<\/h4>\n

Did someone tweet something horribly inappropriate? Want to unfollow them? It takes a couple of steps. You’ll have to go into the user’s profile by scrolling over a tweet and hitting Menu. You can also view someone’s profile by clicking Enter. The unfollow option appears when you scroll down. Pretty basic stuff, though I certainly prefer the unfollow option right in the menu.<\/p>\n

Following someone new entails the same process. The RIM client makes this a bit easier by allowing you to search for people. One of the options in the top menu is a people search, which you can use to find someone by their username or actual name. That’s a bit better than the general search, which can turn you in a number of directions.<\/p>\n

Search<\/h4>\n

Again, the people search is a nice touch. The icon next to it allows you to search normally. Nothing fancy here. Just the basics.<\/p>\n

Shortcuts<\/h4>\n

The RIM Twitter client uses basic shortcuts, as follows:<\/p>\n

Top: <\/b>t — this also puts your cursor in the update text box
\nBottom: <\/b>b — it goes back an hour, or at least did for me
\nReply: <\/b>r
\nReply All: <\/b>l
\nRetweet: <\/b>f
\nDirect Message: <\/b>c — why not d? D doesn’t do anything<\/p>\n

Random thoughts<\/h4>\n

Just a few things to round up:<\/p>\n