App.net Beta Testing - iOS
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 8:52AM
Amy Holms in app.net

With all the hoopla about Twitter and heavy requirements being placed on 3rd-party Twitter apps, you've probably heard tell about a new paid networking service called App.net, which is growing each day, both in the number of users, but also in the amount and quality of the conversation within its posts. I was lucky to be one of the early adopters who got in prior to funding (find me at @formfireglass,) and have made a point of being active there, both with new acquaintances, and helping out people who are new to the service.

One of the main issues I have heard from some of those early adopters who are not really active on the service yet is the lack of iOS apps available. There is currently one client available for Android, Hoopla, and one that has made it through the Apple App Store, Rhino. I have been beta testing three other clients, and have to say that I'm seriously impressed with the amount of work and detail that they have put into them in such a short amount of time (funding was backed August 11th.)

Most of these early apps are missing what many might think of as important pieces. Some lack conversation views, others don't yet have reposting capabilities, still others are working on fixing crash bugs. But much more important that what they lack is the wide range of ways these developers are trying to create their own special addition to the App.net community. Each one has parts that really stand out from the rest, that make their app noteworthy, and that make the App.net experience more pleasurable.

Xtendr (Now Rivr, updated 9/15/12) - dev: @tonymillion

I have been using Xtendr Rivr the longest of all the betas, and have seen it blossom under the watchful keyboard of Tony Million. Based out of the UK, he has not only been continually revising the app, but has been strongly connected to the beta testers, initially with troubleshooting bugs, but then keeping them apprised of possible changes in the UI and soliciting opinions.

Xtendr Rivr has four great items that I think make it the most full-featured of all my betas:

PostStream - dev: @jamanfredi

PostStream is one of my favorite apps in terms of use and looks. Created by Jared Manfredi, it is the most TweetBot-like of the apps I've tried. This app doesn't have the bells and whistles that Xtendr does, but is a simple Twitter-style app, done beautifully.

AppApp - devs: @ralf, @bsneed, @protozog, @jedi, @tc, @jtregunna, @vinspee, @chancellorr, @sneakyness

AppApp had the most solid Twitter-like experience from the first build I tried. It is visually clean, with all the basics accounted for. Like Xtendr, it has Notification support, so it quickly became part of my App.net stable.

As an aside, there are a few Mac apps and web apps worth checking out: Appeio – a web app with inline photos and video, thread following, and also sports a multiple stream view for seeing personal posts, mentions, stream and the global view all at once; moApp – a Mac client with mention counts and Notification support; and Appetizer – a Mac client with Notification support, post copying and favorites.

All in all the developer support and their willingness to explore options has been superb, and has made this initial App.net experience a great one.

Article originally appeared on FormFire Glassworks (http://formfireglassworks.com/).
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