education

When it comes to using technology,  I like trying new tools and applications which means I end up bouncing around a lot to see what’s out there, how well it works, and what it has to offer.  This is especially true of apps for things like email, calendars, todo, projects, research, presentations, media, browsers (and extensions), and increasingly, for social media.  I’m a big Twitterer these days (as that column to the right shows) and I’ve discovered that using a desktop client has really transformed my experience of this platform.  I like the way these clients allow for things like group management, URL shortening, saved searches, and increased control over the visual presentation of my Twitter stream.  In my bouncing around I’ve used most of the major desktop Twitter clients including: Twhirl, Tweetdeck, Seesmic Desktop, Nambu, and PeopleBrowser.  I’ve also looked at apps like Eventbox and AlertThingy (though less closely).  In my experience, each of these clients have good things to offer to Twitter users.  I’ve used and liked all of them, finding that each had features/functions I liked as well as limitations and frustrations.  So I keep bouncing around.

Recently I’ve had the chance to get in on the beta of a new desktop client called Mixero (@mixero).  Mixero is built on Adobe AIR and is therefore supported on a variety of platforms.  Mixero bills itself as “The new generation Twitter client for people who value their time and are tired of information noise.”  In working to achieve this, the folks at Mixero have developed a very slick application that has lots to offer, particularly in its UI.

In my own use I’ve discovered this UI can take a little bit of getting used to.  Coming from Tweetdeck/Seesmic/Nambu, I had to adjust from my use of a multi-column full screen view (although Mixero does allow you to create this type of layout) to a more concise but quickly adjustable view based on my ActiveList.  It didn’t take long though, for me to see the value of the Mixero UI and how to adjust it to make it work for me.  It’s been a few weeks now and I’ve made the switch to Mixero as my everyday Twitter client.  I’m still working my way through this application, but I wanted to post a little information about my experience.  For now I’ll do that with a quick list of things I like and a few shortcomings/things I’d still like to see.  Mixero is not perfect, nor will it be everyone’s cup o’ tea, but I think it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a unique Twitter client.  I’m also including the Mixero demo video for more information on features and functions.

Likes

• Easy to create groups for managing contacts, and give the groups relevant icons from Google images
• Create channels to save searches
• Create contexts- allows you to view different groupings based on a context (ie, work or home/personal or professional)
• Active list- see time line for various combinations of groups/channels/people
• Conversations
• Autocomplete usernames
• Preview of URLs and Pics
• Filtering/Negative filters
• API controls
• Various URL shortening options
• Avatar Mode- Love this one. Active list icons float over other apps on the right side. can preview last tweet in each- see the video for a demo
• **Another great feature is that if you create groups/contexts/channels on one computer, they will show up when you log in to the same Twitter account on other computers. Excellent!

Like To See

• Multiple account support
• Application often hangs multiple times when starting up
• A way to use columns so that they attach together rather than have lots of floating spaces (this would give an option for views akin to Tweetdeck/Seesmic/Nambu) ** improved in current updates
• Various UI tweaks and bugs ** regular updates have been great
• Direct message button /option
• More user control over look & feel- colors/templates
• Other social media integration: Facebook, FriendFeed, ident.ica, etc
• Better bulk manage contact groupings

Mixero is still in private invite beta.  My sense is that lots of things are in the works and the developers have been responsive to feedback and requests.  In fact, they were kind enough to provide me with some beta invite codes.  If you’d like to check it out, download the application here and then use the invite code “soctechnologist” to get logged in.

Let me know what you think of it.