Settings are in the Settings App

Although SimplyTweet did not seem like the Twitter application to look out for at first sight, its second release seems to be more promising than the first. When version 2.0 finally came out, we tested how it compared to other Twitter apps such as Twitterific, lets say. This time around, this application (costing only $5) and its free-of-cost version packs a few features that are worth reckoning.

First off, blending new themes into the app was a good decision. The speech bubbles in version 1.0 were not anything to die for – not to say that they reeked of inexpertise in design. The new themes – Silver, Daylight, etc. – have a sharp and clean look that adds that extra bit of chic to the application. However, you still have to switch constantly between the main application window and the Settings screen of the iPhone to find the right theme – which is a pain.

Secondly, push notifications is the main feature to reckon in this version. This is a well written script that manages to let you in on any direct messages/updates from Twitter on the iPhone within just a couple of minutes of actually receiving the message on the site.

The bad news is that some of the bugs from the previous version still hang around to nag you. For instance, there is that bug that causes the application to crash if you do not have any direct messages/mentions in your queue. Although this one can be worked around by sending yourself a simple message to keep the queue non-empty at all times, it is a nag nevertheless. Then there is the ‘Saved Views’ element and the switching accounts dialogs that can be taxing for many.

Not to be too harsh, SimplyTweet has improved – but it still has a long way to go. This application runs on all iPhones and iTouch machines with the iPhone v3.0 OS.