TwitterPeek, first Twitter-only device launched
TwitterPeek, the world’s first Twitter-only device has been launched. Peek, the maker of TwitterPeek, already makes email and text-only devices under the brand name Peek Pronto.
TwitterPeek can be used to access almost all of Twitter functions available on a PC. You can tweet, follow/unfollow, send @ and retweets, as well as download your list of followers.
TwitterPeek is designed as a gadget designed exclusively for Twitter-fanatics. It cannot send or receive emails, or send SMS. For these, use a Peek Pronto. Resembling a scientific calculator from yesteryears, TwitterPeek is a tiny device with a reasonably large screen and a full Qwerty keyboard and a scroll wheel on the right side, like in some of the old BlackBerrys. It has a battery that runs for 3-4 days on normal usage. The TwitterPeek comes with a battery charger. As an option, you can also choose to buy a car charger as an accessory for your TwitterPeek.
TwitterPeek started selling on the company’s website www.twitterpeek.com and Amazon. The gadget is available at a price of $100, which includes a six-month contract for wireless service. After six months, you must pay $7.75 a month to continue using the wireless service. Peek said in a press release that heavy users of Twitter can buy at a price of $200, which includes a lifetime free wireless service.
Peek said that TwitterPeek will run on its own mobile network; so there is no need to look for wifi hotspots or mobile operators. The company said that TwitterPeek coverage is across the US. It did not say if and when TwitterPeek will be launched in Europe and the rest of the world.
How attractive is Twitter on a dedicated device? On the positive side, you get a device custom-made for tweeting. You don’t need to bother about wireless subscriptions and bills if you have a lifetime connection. Unlike smartphones which now come with Twitter apps, TwitterPeek has dedicated exclusive keys and shortcuts to make tweeting a breeze.
On the other hand, TwitterPeek lacks many of the Twitter functions available on a computer or smartphone. It doesn’t have a web browser; which means that you cannot view short links to webpages and what they lead to. Peek said in its website that it is planning to introduce previews of linked webpages within the screen itself. We believe that until you can visit the pages linked by your friends and contacts, TwitterPeek will be a half-baked product.
Peek said in its website that will be registered with only one Twitter account. If you have multiple accounts, you will have to “reset device” and login with the alternate account. Don’t forget that if you reset TwitterPeek, the posts from the earlier account will disappear too.
We feel that can be more successful in sales, corporate and industrial environments rather than as an individual gizmo. When smartphone users can already access Twitter and other social media networks, will they bother to carry another device only for Twitter? We doubt it. The application of TwitterPeek could be wider when an organization tries to reach out to its employee or sales base through the cost-effective and instant medium of Twitter.