Desktop Twitter

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET staff on June 04, 2012

If you just can't wait to open your browser to see what's going on in your Twitter timeline, you'll appreciate this free app. Desktop Twitter from Twitter Brooks promises to keep you up-to-date with tweets from accounts you follow without having to go online.

Once installed, you'll need to authorize access to your Twitter account. Other than that you really don't need to do anything. Desktop Twitter sits in the system tray until activated, just waiting for tweets from your timeline. The compact interface is plain but easy to understand. It even has the same blue color scheme and uses the same terminology as the social networking site. This version also gives you two easy-to-use extras: the ability to unfollow someone and to copy a tweet to the clipboard. We also liked how easy it is to switch to a different Twitter account, a feature that power users who have multiple accounts will appreciate. As promised, new tweets are delivered almost instantly as they pop up in your account.

For those who like to follow Twitter closely, Desktop Twitter is a handy app that is as easy to use as the social media site itself. We did find that it didn't uninstall cleanly and left behind some Start Menu icons, but other than that, this free program worked as promised.