When Twitter recently announced they were purchasing Atebits’ popular Twitter application, Tweetie, many critics wrote off all 3rd party apps, including Twitterrific. Well, we’re here to say that not only is Twitterrific alive and kicking, but it’s being actively developed with love by the Iconfactory. There are some exciting changes coming to the ‘Little Blue Bird that Could’ and we wanted to give you a wing up.
Twitterrific fans have waited patiently and watched as we released version 1.0 of the software for the iPad as well as subsequent 1.0.1 and 1.1 updates. Although the surprise announcement of the iPad put our iPhone and Mac plans on temporary hold, the diversion turned out to be well worth it. Twitterrific for iPad has been hailed as the best version of the application since its original launch. The app is simple, easy to use and covers all the bases when it comes to Twitter functionality. Developing for the iPad with its short deadline, forced us to take a hard look at our design decisions and streamline the app for the better.
The result is a code base that we’re using to update Twitterrific for iPhone to version 3.0 and then for 4.0 for the Macintosh. Unifying the various versions will shorten development cycles, but it also means significant changes to the Twitterrific users know and love. There’s so much to cover in fact, that we’ve broken the discussion out onto three of the Iconfactory’s personal blogs.
- Ged covers the whys and hows of our decision and gives a “big picture” point of view you won’t want to miss.
- David breaks down the individual UX decisions behind Flamingo (our code name for Twitterrific for iPad) and gives a sneak peek at the UI design behind v 3.0 for the iPhone.
- Craig outlines why designing for early adopters isn’t always the best idea and how important it is to simplify your design in the modern world of mobile computing.
We realize that development of Twitterrific hasn’t always moved as quickly as our users would have liked. Until last October, our programming resources were limited to Craig’s giant, but single pair of hands. Thankfully, our talented new programmer, Sean Heber, has given Craig the help he needed. This, combined with the support of our users and their desire to see Twitterrific not crash and burn, but rather soar high and far, have given new life to our development efforts. Watch for our all-new version of Twitterrific for iPhone, and then after that the long-awaited Twitterrific for Mac 4.0. Rest assured we’re working hard to get them both into your hands as soon as possible. Thanks everyone!
