RIM has done quite well with some of its internal applications as of late. Sure they kind of screwed delayed the launch of Facebook 1.5 but now that is here and all the bugs have for the most part been worked out, most users seem overall happy with the application. They have also done a great job with the IM clients. Albeit not perfect solutions all around, lets be honest, some of the RIM in-house bulit applications are among the best ones out there, as until just recently they had an unfair advantage with keeping their API's internal.
With a lot of the RIM-built applications, social networking seems to be the draw for most BlackBerry users and I myself use them on a daily basis. So I'm really left to wonder at this point with the expansion of Twitter growing rapidly on a daily basis and the flood of Twitter applications being developed and seemingly updated on a daily basis, will RIM themselves ever dive into the Twitter world and give their attempt at a great application or will they leave it up to the third party developers who have been doing a solid job so far?
So what do you all out there think? Will RIM decide to create their own Twitter application? Or at this point, with their huge push for developers and the opening of a lot of their once-internal API's will they leave this one fully up to the developers to take on. Let us know what you want to see in the comments. In the meantime, you can follow the links below to learn more about current Twitter clients available for your BlackBerry. We'd better get to work on an updated Twitter Roundup!
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90 comments
No, How about they make a better Facebook app?! Leave the twitter app making to the Tweet Genius team!
If TweetGenius is so good, why don't they sell it to RIM?
Why should they sell it to RIM?!
I agree...it seems the MySpace BB app is much better than Facebook. I would like to see some of those ideas incorporated in a better FB App first.
Been using UberTwitter for a month now and am very happy with it. Though I must say, I haven't tried any of the other Twitter app's.
Fix Storm first. Silly apps for vapid websites later.
As a former twitter user, I find it to be a waste.
I may be in the minority, but do I need to know when people sleep, what they have for breakfast, etc?
It is a complete waste. This is just the current thing to do I guess. When I first heard about twitter it was explained to me and then I thought there MUST be more to it but no there wasn't. I will be glad when I don't have to hear about it anymore.
I got in on Twitter early on in its cycle, and became pretty happy with it. After 2 months I stopped using it for 6 months. I came back maybe6 months ago, and now I've just stopped using it all together. I don't tweet, and I don't check it very often. I mostly use it for a very select few, mostly about Raiders football. I think twitter is a great tool to use to keep a pulse on a subject, the problem is, Twitter is not about inane updates which I was prone to doing. I don't care whos eating what, or where someone is. I care about information, and as such, I think twitter should make another website for corps and high people in a field which greater search results. Let twitter be for friends, and let TwitterCorp be for information. That would make my life 100 times easier.
"the opening of a lot of their once-internal API's will they leave this one fully up to the developers to take on"
I think we have a long way to go before the "normal" developers have the APIs needed to compete with RIM.
I hope RIM doesn't make a twitter client because it would eliminate the competition. All of the existing twitter clients would be blown out of the water because of the access RIM has but then when it comes time for new features and updates RIM doesn't have need the speed or agility to respond to users like the ISVs do.
How about instead they make developing for the blackberry better so apps platform wide become better instead of just depending on RIM to release the apps we want.
Twitter is a total waste of time.
I couldn't care less!
Right after they develope an OS for the Storm that works with out bugs.
I want RIM to develop stable, fast and intuitive Storm software. Can they do it ???
I think Twitter should have a native app for Blackberry. Twitter has a whole lot of users that tweat everyday. It would be great for Blackberry to have one seeing that it is a perfect fit for this platform. If the Sidekick has a app I cannot understand why Blackberry cannot.
I have been on Twitter for 2 years and when it first came
to the public only freaks and stalkers used it which turned me away from the product very quickly. Now two years later
it seems the world has gone mad with mundane status updates and everyone wants to tweet about the sandwhich they're
eating. The blackberry was created for purposes like
productivity and business solutions. Twitter is the furthest thing from being productive, although if RIM put out the app at least it would be rock solid. I can tell you now, I won't be the type to download it.
Take a second look at twitter. I did. I've been using it to expand my freelance work. Sure there are the usual spammers, but you quickly learn to filter that out. RIM needs to step it up in the apps department in general. Twitter can be just as valuable as anything else. It's all in how you use it.
Personally, I'd rather see RIM push out better APIs to the external developers. While they could probably make a really good application, opening up more APIs would increase the quality of ALL BB apps.
For those of you who think it's a waste of time, it probably is for you. I personally also think it's a waste of time to say things like "getting in the shower now", or "just put some extra syrup on my waffles. Feeling a little adventurous today!". Yeah-those are waste of time tweets. BUT, I do think there is a serious use for it on the business side. Keeping clients/employees up to date on important issues. Collaborating with peers. We use it for recruiting athletes.
So, I think it would be GREAT for RIM to develop one. The more options the better. Afterall, isn't competition a good thing?
create something actually useful instead...
I would MUCH prefer (MUCH MUCH MUCH) prefer that RIM get all 2005 on us and develop a useable (i.e., non-memory hog) RSS/Atom reader. Viigo is a memory destroying device clog. RIM should build something fast, intuitive, and internalized. This is 20-freaking-09. RSS should be as core to the OS as the browser.
Haven't you heard? Twitter is replacing RSS readers!
It would be good if they did make one, but with TweetGenius and Socialscope, I don't see myself using it. It might even be unnecessary, but I guess more options is always better.
I second that.
I don't see where there is a need for RIM to develop a twitter app. There are plenty to 3rd party apps out there and they seem to be meeting the needs of users.
Tweet Genius....it gets no better:)
On a side note maybe RIM should focus on making an OS that Verizon approves. I'm sick of all the Storm cry babies..lol.
I am using twitterberry and its nice..
But yes,of course, I want to see a native twitterapp in my BB.
I was just thinking about this the other day. I would like to see RIM attempt a twitter application. With twitter becoming as popular as it is, I don't see why RIM wouldn't want to get in the mix.
I'm all for choice, if it's out and it's free, I'll try it.
As for everyone still moaning on about the mundane nature of Twitter, they clearly haven't thought any further than the end of their own noses. Whilst there are mundane updates, there are also interesting ones, political commentators, bloggers, live-as-it-happens stuff from people reporting from news incidents.
I've learned more and been linked to more articles of interest from Twitter in the last few months than I have in six months of trawling through endless articles and links by myself on the internet.
The instant interaction between developers/news providers/bloggers and their customers/readers is really useful. So whilst you can shout about Twitter not being a productive tool, I would yell back 'your loss', you're missing out on a massive network of information, opinion and news. If you haven't the brains to filter the mundane Twitters from the interesting ones, perhaps you shouldn't go near it.
I am in 100% agreement with your opinion. this has been EXACTLY my experience with Twitter ..... I have no desire to keep up with all the "eat & tweet" posts. But i also have been connected to far more useful information than I would ever get just scanning RSS feeds (cause often u dont know what u dont know) or trying to read through someones self inflated blog -- just to get to the one nugget of info that is good.
Great post
Guess I am brainless flamingkitties because I don't live for twitter feeds.
Even feeds from wmexperts, crackberry, etc.
Why do I need to know right then and there when updates are available?
As for contacts networking, I will stick with professional networking sites like linkedin, etc.
I love my device, but its not where I want to get all my information from. Even print labs that I deal with, do I really need to know right then and there that they can do x,y and z when I will get an email or phone call regarding the very same thing?
Twitter had/ has a huge loss and rejected a buyout from Facebook. Its a popularity contest to see who can get the most followers and is for teenagers. It will disappear in 2-3 years tops.
The majority of Twitter users are aged over 30.
Id like to see the science behind that, or if its just a number you made up to make yourself feel better about using something called "twitter"...
<<< 30 yrs old, doesn't know ANYONE who bothers with that crap, though we all have active social lives, so that could have something to do with it.
I didn't make it up, there are lots of stats on Twitter, because it's a marketing and advertising dream for companies who want to get in touch with their markets.
Here are a couple of sites which have written about the stats:
http://www.marketingvox.com/young-early-adopters-dont-drive-twitters-traffic-043778/
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/twitters-tweet-smell-of-success
Having an active social life does not preclude you from having fifteen seconds to type a Twitter update any more than you having a life stops you from typing a text message to a friend. As I said before, whilst there's a lot of mundane updates, (mine included), there's a lot of interesting stuff being published, promoted and linked through Twitter. There's also the immediacy of breaking news. I like rolling news because, well, I like news.
When Ian Tomlinson died during the G20 demonstrations in London, I heard about his death hours before the news bothered to say anything about it because a Guardian reporter was Twittering from the demonstration all day. He gave more detail as to what was happening that day than the news could provide.
I don't live for Twitter, I don't live for Facebook, nor do I care much for MySpace - it's just a necessity, I'm in a band and I like music, that's where the music is. I do like access to like minded people, news, software updates and articles. I don't have to read those Twitters as they come in, I can save them for when ever I want. In the same way as being engrossed in a book, I'll come back to the chapter when I want. This is the internet though, things are immediate these days, deal with it.
Also, I'm in my 20s, so making up a stat about people over 30 doesn't really help me.
heck yeah and I would like RIM to step it up with apps in general. I hate that everyone markets to iPhone apps. If RIM was smart they'd get in on that action.
Yeah they should. As good as the MySpace Ap is and Facebook, they should really make a Twitter ap also. Its became VERY popular lately.
Twitter is huge and only getting bigger...why not keep people using RIM apps instead of 3rd party apps.
YES
NO - There's already several Twitter clients. RIM needs to encourage more 3rd party development, not discourage it through competing on the apps Front.
BTW - the Facebook app is LAME compared to the one on the iPhone. I recognize it as a really poor app designed for Win Mobile over a year ago called Snap2Face. It was really buggy but we better than nothing. Ditto on the Storm - FB app is better than nothing but certainly doesn't minimic the feel of native facebook.
I think they should focus on other priorities. The Storm still has issues, which may or may not be fixable with OS updates. The Bold OS's seem to have schizophrenia in that no one OS works the same for all users. The Facebook app seems to be a memory hog, especially for its (still) rather limited capabilities. There are enough things popping up for Twitter to keep BB users occupied for the mean time.
NO NO NO NO NO twitter is for douches
Twitter is the most useless of the networking sites. So I agree, twitter is for douches.
I'd be interested in seeing a RIM-developed Twitter App. At this point, they would be arriving to the party a little late.
I'm fairly pleased with TwitterBerry and have just started playing with Ubertwitter.
RIM's Twitter App could be better than the rest. I am always interested in being able to explore my options and believe competition is a good thing.
Nope
No! Sod twitter, Give us decent storm firmware 1st please!!!
I personally hate the fact that a lot of websites, stores and so on have jumped on the twitter band wagon. I don't need my head that far up anythings you know what that often or am I that much of a stalker.
I think twitter is the flavor of the week and maybe that's how RIM views it. Why waste there time, money and resources.
I could care less about Twitter, but what I WOULD like to see is RIM integrate interoperability with the other IM services into BlackBerry Messenger. They obviously have the code necessary for BBM to be able to make the calls and exchange data, and I know I for one have lots of friends who have yet to see the light of BlackBerry and are thus stuck with some other IM service.
I use Yatca (for real time updates) and Tweet Genius (manual refresh) to look at timelines. A marriage of these two, especially for 4.6+ devices, is a must and should come from RIM!
Rim should focus on apps instead of stable OS's, and I want my dentist to develop the next gen gaming system halfway through my root canal. Asinine. Does RIM have ADHD? .... "Focus, RIM, Focus"
I'd love to see a Twitter application like the one currently available on the iPhone where you can see the pictures of those you follow. It has a very nice and sleek interface. I like Twitterberry but the fonts/pictures are not very nice on the Storm. Come on RIM... give us some love with a native Twitter app!
Considering RIM apps generally suck I would say that they should not spread their resources even more thin.