RIM Working on a Native Twitter Client... Should They?!

By Kevin Michaluk on 25 Sep 2009 05:28 pm

A while back now I heard that RIM was working on their own Twitter client (project banshee) and with some word of it starting to surface today figured it was about to time drop some details. It'll be a BIS-B Push based handheld client leveraging RIM's past app experiences and making use of the new components being developed within MySpace projects. It will feature core BlackBerry application integration, and be tied in to the address book, browser and device setup wizard. You can expect the user interface to be along the same lines as other RIM-built social networking apps and offer a similar experience. As for features, it'll have everything you'd expect a twitter app these days to have, including trending topics. All in all, it sounds good.

Over the past few months we've seen lots of developers throw a lot of time and effort (and $$ no doubt) at their third party twitter clients and over time have built up a lot of users of those apps. There's no doubt that whatever RIM pushes will likely become the most-used client, hence the poll at the top. I'm curious what all of the current BlackBerry/Twitter users out there think of this. Feel free to sound off in the comments!

Topics: CrackBerry Polls

Kevin Michaluk 3681 (articles) 3022 (forum posts)

44 comments

AP1618 Sep 25, 2009 at 5:45 pm

lotta ppl dont use twitter!

peninc Sep 25, 2009 at 5:47 pm

bring it on ...cant wait!

Ash_786 Sep 25, 2009 at 5:48 pm

Its going to take RIM 4 years to do it, so who gives a damn ????

ilhe1s Sep 25, 2009 at 5:50 pm

Done!

docsdad#cb Sep 25, 2009 at 5:56 pm

I use Uber. However, it would be nice to see something designed by RIM. It may be nothing new, but it just might work well, be efficient and maybe surprise us with new tech. As long as they can do it quickly too.

Jancy10 Sep 25, 2009 at 6:05 pm

I dnt use twitter but is good that RIM is working on a twitter client, but what they should really be working on is getting the I'm native apps better because right now, they not getting it done

rmstudio Sep 25, 2009 at 6:12 pm

Sounds good to me as long as RIM does not wait or get it done in 3 years time and by then Twitter is old news and something new is all the rage and no one uses twitter any more..

franke2008 Sep 25, 2009 at 6:17 pm

they can't even update their BBM or desktop software. What? More pull backs?

redwanhuq Sep 25, 2009 at 6:22 pm

I definitely would like a Twitter app developed by RIM. Ubertwitter has a plenty of features, but a really poor interface. And SocialScope has a great interface, but a lack of features. And none of them have push updates! Seriously, how hard can it be to develop a working Twitter client!?

skitchbeatz Sep 25, 2009 at 6:25 pm

push updates would be killer.

stuaw11 Sep 25, 2009 at 7:06 pm

Native RIM apps are crap. Look at their separate IM clients vs Im+ or Beejive. No contest the native apps suck.

vdiesel Sep 25, 2009 at 7:10 pm

I disagree. I love the native apps. Better battery life, lower IM lag, contact/OS integration, and automatic login on reboot. I also have BeeJive but it's just sitting on the bench now.

katiepea Sep 25, 2009 at 8:37 pm

i'd prefer a native rim client over anything else at all times, due to the options that only rim can offer, like push services and message/address book integration.

pauldriver Sep 25, 2009 at 8:11 pm

Kevin Michaluk Wrote: "You can expect the user interface to be incongruence with other RIM-built social networking apps and offer a similar experience"

Sorry this is really bugging me,

I think you meant "in congruence with" not "incongruence with" the first means equivalence, where as the second means nonequivalence

From FreeDictionary.Com
in·con·gru·ent (n-knggr-nt, nkn-grnt)
adj.
1. Not congruent.
2. Incongruous.

The last part of the sentence "offer a similar experience" implies congruence and not incongruence, because the experience will be similar.

Sorry, it was just eating a hole in my brain, it was probably an evil spell check mistake, I once misspelled anecdotal and let a M$ spell checker repair it to antidotal, in a memo that went to the board of directors, WHOOPS!

Kevin Michaluk Sep 25, 2009 at 9:33 pm

This comment just made my week. Seriously... I'm not a blogger or journalist. I'm a BlackBerry addict, period. I realize I should really care about grammar and using the right words and stuff like that, and I try to, but I write for the story and from the heart, and I'm usually writing in a rush so sometimes umm..make mistakes (lots of em).

Anyways, I fixed the post. Will try to do better the next time I use big words. :)

Have a great weekend!

xeroslash Sep 25, 2009 at 8:15 pm

twitter sucks

katiepea Sep 25, 2009 at 8:38 pm

thanks for your contribution "twitter sucks" deep man,..... deep

CeluGeek Sep 25, 2009 at 8:56 pm

Is it really that hard to bring Twitter's site in your browser (you can even bookmark it), and get your tweet on from there? I don't get why would I need yet another application eating up storage space on my devices for something that can be done from the web browser.

Yesterdays Shoveler Sep 26, 2009 at 9:32 am

The apps bring a whole pile of features/functionality to the table compared to the mobile website. It's not even a comparison.

Storage space is there for you to use.

kirkg1 Sep 25, 2009 at 9:01 pm

to work on the RIM issues instead of rebuilding the wheel.

JazzL5 Sep 25, 2009 at 9:10 pm

Spell Nazi. That bugged me as well.

iEattehberry Sep 25, 2009 at 9:39 pm

I think a RIM twitter app would be great, especially seeing how great the facebook app is. I am a fairly new 8900 owner, and all I can say is that the facebook app developed by RIM has actually turned me on to facebook.

striggity Sep 28, 2009 at 12:08 pm

the facebook app is actually horrible.

INKGUY79 Sep 25, 2009 at 9:54 pm

yes yes yes bring it on...

jpgnfx Sep 25, 2009 at 10:50 pm

because posting on twitter "From Blackberry" is cool

applejosh Sep 26, 2009 at 12:29 am

I'd like to expand on my "yes" vote. Yes, I think they should develop a twitter client. However, I don't think they make the best apps all the time. Competition is good, so the more developers making apps, the better the apps will be overall.

thymaster Sep 26, 2009 at 1:03 am

I love RIM version of MSN and Yahoo messenger and they should expand their push technology to new areas. I would start using twitter more if RIM had a push twitter app. Right now I only log onto twitter maybe once a month.

xmommyx Sep 26, 2009 at 1:49 am

So far the best I've found is ÜberTwitter...very good for those of us who are twitterdicted!

Plazmic Flame Sep 26, 2009 at 1:56 am

I would have said yes when twitter clients were just rolling out for Blackberry phones but since the latest update of UberTwitter, they've FINALLY (after a long damn time) have added a notification icon for the homescreen banner! About time and now I'm happy.

onelowvoltage Sep 26, 2009 at 2:07 am

There needs to be a "depends" button on this survey. I think I fall somewhere between A & B.

Qharisma Sep 26, 2009 at 5:11 am

RIM makes absolutely terrible apps. . . . The facebook app was sooooo laggy and cumbersome to use. (Not to mention it has less features than the mobile site, I.e. The like link). . . I deleted it. . . It's simply easier (and faster) to use the mobile site. . . . And the review states the experience will be similar to past ones. . .(Which indicates a slow, unfriendly, feature stripped twitter app) I'll pass. . .Thanks for the warning crackberry!

besmgmt Sep 26, 2009 at 2:39 pm

on http://cli.gs/SDeu8 <- Please try the google-translator, no time to translate now, sorry guys.

Ahwoo Sep 26, 2009 at 9:22 pm

I use Twitter and Facebook quite a bit and have Alpha tested a few social networking apps. It's hard to beat RIM's Facebook client and I imagine that it's Twitter app would be pretty impressive as well. I just wish someone would make a LinkedIn app for Blackberry.

lilbean13801 Sep 26, 2009 at 11:44 pm

UberTwitter all the way!!! I like it! Just wish it was a little easier to navigate.

blakeboys Sep 27, 2009 at 12:42 am

How bout they help in the process of making a "flash" browser for the curves first... seems that'd be a hellofalot more useful.

CaCHooKaMan Sep 27, 2009 at 6:55 am

if its anything like the facebook app then RIM should just let 3rd party developers handle it

striggity Sep 28, 2009 at 12:08 pm

my thoughts exactly

driftaway80 Sep 27, 2009 at 12:43 pm

BUT...I prefer my UberTwitter.

I think they should work on bringing some apps up to speed with the competitors. (i.e. a Facebook app).

jkcb Sep 27, 2009 at 7:57 pm

It has all the features I could ask for, but I wouldn't mind seeing a better looking interface. I tried TwiXtreme, and it's pretty, but it doesn't do crap. It would be great if RIM could create something that is both useful and pleasant to look at.

Raving_Rev Sep 28, 2009 at 8:40 am

Cant wait, bring it on!

TheEdge Sep 28, 2009 at 5:05 pm

RIM, for the love of God, please resolve Error 552 (outofmemoryerror) first? Sick of reinstalling apps all the time. It's demoralizing!

ronin59 Oct 3, 2009 at 6:42 am

Hope they also work on multiple account management;-)