Twitterific: Twitter Client For Mac

With Twitter's simple but web based interface it was inevitable that applications would develop to bring Twitter functionality with a smaller footprint. Such is the case with Twitterific, the Mac based application that condenses Twitter's features into a box on the desktop.

Twitterific does indeed condense - following the install to the desktop - down to an eighteenth of the screen. After you sign in, Twitterific begins to fill up with tweets, piled one atop the other, just as they are in Twitter. However, unlike the Twitter tweets, which feature only a star to mark a favorite and a reply button, Twitterific puts three icons; one for a reply, one for a direct link to the website or Twitter page for the person, and one shaped like a gear that does everything from marking direct replies to controlling the connection.

If taking up less space is the main benefit to Twitterific, then how it can be tweaked should be a close second. Anything from minor adjustments such as the ability to have the window on top of others or below, or setting the frame to transparent, to the ability to use Twitterific to update the status in iChat, Adium, Skype are easily configurable through the settings (the wrench icon in the bottom left). Resizing the diminutive screen is as simple as a click and drag, and notification options go from simple sounds to separate boxes that appear momentarily with incoming tweets. Power users will also like the keyboard shortcuts to do everything from post to login to a separate account.

Some of the drawbacks we found with Twitterific was that to follow or search users we had to return to the Twitter site, and there were no options for url shortening. We also found the option to see tweets appear in a phantom box that disappeared within a second to be invasive and too quick to be read, which could give users pause before checking that option.

Twitterific is a free client for Twitter, and although we saw no ads during our test, there is an ad-free version available for $14.95. In the end Twitterific is an application for the Mac and power Twitter user who wants to reduce their browser load and maintain their connection to the social network. To find Twitterific and applications similar, use the Listio search Twitter+desktop.