Twitter App Comes To The iPad

Twitter on 1 September launched its official Twitter for iPad application, bringing tweeting and other content sharing to Apple’s popular tablet computer.

Many of Twitter’s 100 million-plus users are calling out web pages, photos, videos, hashtags, people, check-ins and other objects with their tweets.

Twitter for iPad is focused on letting users manage the information they share on Twitter through the tablet’s touch-screen so that users don’t have to open and close windows or click buttons. Steering clear of those gestures is part of the tablet’s appeal and is a big reason why Apple has sold more than 3 million iPads.

Simplified user interface

Twitter’s mobile user-experience lead Leland Rechis noted that tapping on a tweet in Twitter for iPad opens a pane to the right.

“Depending on the content in that tweet, you’ll see a video or photo, or maybe a news story, or perhaps another Tweet,” Rechis wrote.

“You can continue tapping on Tweets, opening new panes, and getting new content as long as you’d like to. And, it’s really easy to move between panes by swiping to the right or left.”

Users may pinch on a tweet to view details about the author and reply or retweet. By putting two fingers together and pulling down on a tweet to peek at the replies, users can view the entire conversation leading to that tweet.

Twitter for iPad users who tap a video link or open a web page to view a video may play that content inline and pinch on that video to watch it full screen.

Users needn’t log in to use Twitter for iPad. The company offers Twitter accounts across sports, news, and art and design to let users begin searching and viewing trends.

Twitter for iPad is available now from the App Store. Those who want a peek should check out Engadget’s review here.

The app was created by Lorne Brichter, who sold his company Atebits and the Tweetie app for the iPhone to Twitter.

Tweetie became Twitter for iPhone, one of a slew of official mobile apps the company is releasing to assume control of some of the client apps for its network.

Twitter made third-party developers uneasy about this practice in April, but concerns seem to have quieted.