Popular Windows-only Twitter client MetroTwit has just made its metro way into the Windows 8 Store. Those running the Release Preview can grab it now to move from a Metro-style app, to a real life, grown up Metro app. The app supports the familiar multiple columns layout that we’re used to, providing glanceable tweets from your followers, favourites, searches and more. All the core functionality is available, namely replying, retweeting and favouriting tweets.
Currently the app only supports a single twitter account, but rest assured the developers David Golden, Winston Pang and Long Zheng have heard the feedback. The guys are working hard to iterate over the coming weeks and months.
One of the best features of the desktop version of MetroTwit has been the ability to simply paste an image from the clipboard into the New Tweet box. Unfortunately this feature isn’t included (yet), this may be a limit of Metro apps. It may sound like a small workflow restriction, but this was a serious benefit over other twitter clients. The good news is that you can attach files to a tweet, but need to browse to a saved file, then attach it. Alternatively you can take a photo directly from the app.
Something that we’ll look at with any new Metro apps is the how well they take advantage of new Win8 features. MetroTwit does a great job of utilising the snapped view, which allows you to switch between your twitter timeline, replies or searches while performing other tasks.
Searching twitter couldn’t be easier in MetroTwit. At any time you can simply use the Search charm or what I recommend WinKey + Q keyboard shortcut, to search tweets and users in one search. One surprise was the lack of a live tile for MetroTwit. It is important to remember that this version contains the Preview Tag, but with other twitter-enabled apps providing this functionality, it needs to be added.
One limit to the current functionality is that you can not remove a search. Once you search for a keyword, hashtag or username the search become an option to display or hide, but no option to remove.
Update
One of the most impressive parts of MetroTwit is their incredible responsiveness. MetroTwit have explained how a search can be removed. You have to hide a search first, then close the ‘Manage column’ screen and the search will be removed. While this may not be the most intuitive UX, but its good to know this functionality does exist.
Overall MetroTwit is a solid twitter application for Windows 8 which will inevitably get better as time goes by and the Aussie developers suck down copious amounts of Red Bull. As with all apps in the Store right now, the app is free, so try it out now!
