Our Verdict
As Macworld aged contributor John Gruber has written , Twitter apps field designer ’s playground — while all Twitter apps look and run similarly , each offers its own take on the unspoiled way to present ( and compose ) 140 - lineament missives . YourHead Software ’s take , intimately known asKiwi(Mac App Store link ) , is deserving a look .
Kiwi ’s timeline aspect
For starters , Kiwi put up plenty of customization selection . The app comes packed with ten themes , and you candownload more from Kiwi ’s Website . I peculiarly like iWik , which is built - in , and Soft Spoken , which is n’t .
Kiwi’s timeline view
Kiwi also makes beneficial use of tabs . It lets you make for with multiple accounts , graze saved hunt , and even expose saved profile ( which show all the tweet from , and replies to , a specific invoice ) in a single , tabbed windowpane . If you prefer to see multiple view at the same time , you’re able to shoot off tabs into their own windows .
you’re able to even combine multiple account statement , searches , and profile into a single tab . This option will be especially appealing to phratry still mourning Twitter’schange in @mention behaviorfrom a twosome of years ago . That change preclude exploiter from seeing replies send by people they succeed to people they do n’t follow . apteryx ’s ability to combine sentiment works around the change — by combining Twitter visibility with your main account , you could see every tweet sent by specific individuals of your choosing .
Kiwi offers other clever invention , too . When you clack a user ’s avatar , a profile window alternate down , using a glib animation , to exhibit point about the user in question . The app also lets you produce filter — which Kiwi calls Rules — that you may use to highlight , stylize , or shroud specific tweet . You might , for exercise , pick out to shroud any tweet that include the musical phrase “ Dallas Cowboys , ” or to highlight tweets that advert Steve Jobs .
Kiwi ’s visibility view
As sprucely implemented as much of Kiwi ’s interface is , some of the design option are frustrating . For instance , when you double - click a reply message to see a full conversation , that discussion thread open up in a unexampled yellow journalism ; I ’d rather see those conversation inline ( as you may in premature Gem YoruFukurou ) , instead of in another tab I have to recollect to close . I also could get no way to voyage directly to a user ’s profile in the app ; I ended up using the app ’s build up - in search feature to look for mentions of a given username , and then flick the name there .
Also , once you ’ve accessed a user ’s visibility , you’re able to regard that person ’s recent tweet within Kiwi , but if you click the Favorites link to take in that user’sfavoritedtweets , you ’re instead take to the Twitter.com Website in your nonremittal World Wide Web browser app . I also establish Kiwi ’s attack to Direct Messages a bit mussy — the substance seem in a chronological list , rather than devise by correspondent as they are in Twitter ’s prescribed app .
Those complaint aside , Kiwi does plenty correct . I tend to rely on the official Twitter Mac app , but when I do , I neglect many of Kiwi ’s niceties — especially the themes , rules , and unique combining tab . If Kiwi could amend its conversation view and profile shop , it could well steal the Twitter app ’s spot in my Dock .
