Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly feature, Yay or Nay. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn’t. If you wish to submit your application or service for review, please contact us at rcrwebhelp@crain.com.
Application: Twitter Mobile
Running on: BlackBerry Pearl with Sprint Nextel service.
Yay: Quick and easy access to the Twitter service, and exceptionally easy methods of posting “twitters.”
Nay: Although there’s not much to Twitter’s service in the first place, the mobile version leaves off everything but the absolute basics (which means there’s not much else to be done while mobile but post a message).
We say: For those who are frequent Twitter posters, Twitter Mobile will suffice. For those who want to browse the service, or engage in other Twitter activities, a PC is needed.
Review: When we first stumbled across Twitter, we couldn’t figure out why anyone would use it, or even want to use it. Essentially, Twitter allows users to post short missives about what they’re doing, and many such posts are just a few words: “Cooking right now,” for example.
Nonetheless, the service has taken off, and currently counts around 100 million registered users.
Despite our initial reaction to the service, it intrigued us. A recent New York Times article provided further illumination on the subject: Twitter allows friends to stay close, and acquaintances a method to remain in contact with each other. Thus, the service seems destined for the mobile realm, since its purpose – as outlined by its tagline – is to answer the question: “What are you doing?”
Our first foray into Twitter’s mobile operation was through its mobile site, m.twitter.com. The site allowed us to log into our account and post a message. We were also able to view messages from those linked to our account, as well as all of the most recent posts to the site.
However, we were unable to do much else, including search for other registered users. We suspect this would be a handy feature, since meeting up with friends or acquaintances (and then subsequently following them on Twitter) may often be done while mobile.
Twitter’s standard, desktop computer site encouraged us to link our account to our cellphone number, thereby allowing us to post messages through text messaging. Although this function proved even easier than the mobile site (simply send a Twitter post to Twitter’s short code) the limitations appeared to be even greater, as posting was about the only thing that could easily be done.
Both Twitter’s text message service and its mobile site are free, aside from carrier data charges.
Thus, Twitter’s mobile services were blazingly simple for those wishing to post messages while on the go, but users likely need to visit the service’s desktop computer site for anything else.
