Dave has been using Twitter (twitter.com/davidrisley) for a while now. For a time I used it (twitter.com/frostedside) but stopped citing it as useless. I tried FriendFeed but more or less hated it so stopped using microblogging services altogether.

During this time Dave said to me over and over to twhirl because it works really well. I was dead set against this for a few reasons:

1. It’s an Adobe Air app.

To use twhirl you must install Adobe Air. Fortunately the software prompts you to do this without initiating a separate download and install. However the point is that I absolutely did not yet another "thing" (like Java, Flash, SilverLight, etc.) on my box.

2. I did not see the need to have a dedicated application just for microblogging.

I try to run as few "resident" apps as possible and it bugs me whenever I have to have one sitting in the system tray.

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After being asked (read: begged) by a few PCMech regulars to get back on Twitter I said "Okay fine.. I’ll try it and even give the twhirl client a go."

It turns out I actually like twhirl and can honestly say that yes, it’s a solid application that’s easy, stays out of your way, doesn’t crash and moreover takes only a bare minimum of system resources (i.e. not a memory hog whatsoever).

What makes twhirl fun is that it’s stupidly easy to use. This nice’n'neat little application makes for posting updates simple. Simple is good. In addition it makes the Twitter system more "connected" so to speak. For example, to reply to a "tweet" you can just hover over a contact and click the @ icon, type and send. To insert a shortened web link, click the little chain link icon. It’s things like this that allow you to do things faster - and moreover easier - with Twitter.

If you’re one of those people who is baffled by microblogging and can’t make heads or tails of it, I’d suggest using twhirl. It not only does Twitter but a few other microblogger-style networks as well. I’ll put it to you this way - it got me using microblogging again.

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