- Large, full-color screen and full keyboard
- Long battery life of 4-5 days. Fully recharges in under 2 hours
- Service plan no longer supported by manufacturer.
Amazon needs to pull all of these devices from its marketplace. Peek is done. My "life time" service was shut-down on January 30. Today I received a mass email from the head of the company (see below). I guess he didn't know how to complete the fourth paragraph. This was the first I heard they were shutting down. I loved Peek for what it was... and now it's gone.
"Dear Peek user,
Since we launched Peek in September 2008, we received amazing accolades for the product and the support of many, many Peeksters like you.
Since 2010 the business has been taking off in a direction that moved us away from these devices -putting our cloud platform and software to work bringing smart apps to simple devices made by other mobile phone makers.
We have been winding down the US service since late 2010, and at the end of 2011 this email address was connected to one of a few Peek devices still operating in the US. At the end of January, this last batch of devices was decommissioned.
I'm sorry to report that this
As our Peek cloud powers increasing millions of devices around the world, we hope you'll find yourself using our apps for services like mail, chat, picture sharing, and cloud backup. Indeed, we were just honored by the global mobile industry association with a prestigious Best Technology award nomination. You can read more about this and where we are heading at
All the best,
Amol
Peekster-in-Chief"
Buy TwitterPeek Mobile Tweeting Device (Gray) Now
*******
OCT. 19, 2010 UPDATE:
The TwitterPeek does NOT work any longer. Don't buy it. If you already have a TwitterPeek with LIFETIME SERVICE, this is NOW what PEEK INC. is telling me: PEEK INC. is only offering TwitterPeek Users with LIFETIME SERVICE to switch to a Peek 9 with only ONE YEAR OF SERVICE. No more LIFETIME SERVICE on a direct straight swap. But someone else in the GetPeek discussion forum is saying you have to pay an extra $50 to get lifetime service on the Peek 9 if you want to swap to a Peek 9. It's up to you. But I say: Don't buy the TwitterPeek. Get a real phone with internet on the phone for doing your twitter. Based on my experience with the TwitterPeek, you can expect a DEAD DEVICE and you will be wasting your money.
*******
OCT. 14, 2010 UPDATE:
The TwitterPeek no longer works. The TwitterPeek is a dead device. According to a support message that I've received, PEEK INC has no ETA as to when twitter service may be restored. PEEK INC. is now saying that TwitterPeek users should get the Peek 9 device which is their new email device. There's is a "lemonade" offer where you can get a Peek 9 for $1, but you have to contact PEEK to swap your lifetime service from the TwitterPeek to the Peek 9. But there is NO TWITTER on the Peek 9 because PEEK INC. still hasn't gotten twitter to work. They may advertise twitter on the Peek 9, but they admit twitter is not working. I haven't switched to the Peek 9 yet, but anticipate doing so to at least get some sort of LIFETIME SERVICE that I've originally paid for. [EDIT: my contact at support is checking to see if there is a difference in paying for the Lifetime Service on the PEEK9. If there is, I may not want to get it because I've paid all that I want to pay for these Peek devices.]
If you are looking at the TwitterPeek, don't get it. Additionally, I suggest you don't bother looking at any of Peek's other devices because the service is not reliable from my experience and also if you look at the GetPeek discussion forums where people complain about the outages on the other Peek devices. You will be better off looking for an unlocked phone, put an AT&T SIM card on the phone, and use AT&T GoPhone prepaid service on the phone to get voice as well as internet to thereby get twitter. As I've mentioned in a previous update, my review here used to be five stars, but I've since downgraded my review to ONE STAR. Don't get the TwitterPeek. I used to be enthusiastic for the TwitterPeek, but I now wholeheartedly agree with the other one-star reviews here. Those other one-star reviews had no experience with the TwitterPeek, but I have experience with the TwitterPeek and can tell you that you will definitely make a mistake if you get the TwitterPeek since the TwitterPeek is now a dead do-nothing bricked device and when the company behind the device is telling people to switch to something else.
*******
OCT. 8, 2010 UPDATE:
Still No Twitter Service.
This was originally a Five Star Review.
I've completely downgraded it to One Star.
This TwitterPeek is suppose to have
LIFETIME SERVICE, but at this point
there has been NO SERVICE for
OVER ONE MONTH and counting.
*******
SEPT. 29, 2010 UPDATE:
From the PEEK discussion forum (@amolsarva):
TwitterPeek fix status :
Official word on TwitterPeek:
while we were getting ready to launch Peek 9
Twitter changed a bunch of stuff
that broke TwitterPeek
but we are nearly through fixing it up
and it's going to work not only on all TwitterPeeks
but also on Peek 9s
and you can even turn it on Peek Prontos
If you want a credit back for a "monthly plan" TwitterPeek please email care@getpeek
A cool thing is that the links are "followable" by the mini browser. That will work on all Peeks
*******
SEPT. 18, 2010 UPDATE:
Because of a recent change in how Twitter authenticates accounts, the TwitterPeek has been DEAD in getting service from Twitter since about the beginning of September 2010. First, the people at PEEK Inc. said that they would have access to Twitter restored by Thursday, September 16, but that date fell through. Now, they say they will have access to Twitter restored by sometime the following week (which is next week after the time when I'm currently writing this update) in time for the debut of their next product called the Peek 9. So far I've got only three months out of the lifetime service for my TwitterPeek. And I'm waiting to see if this comatose TwitterPeek actually rises from the dead and starts working again. Totally annoying having to wait to see if that actually happens. I'll report back if and when Twitter access is restored on the TwitterPeek, or if there is some other change, BUT I have to agree with the naysayers, that you will be better off with a smartphone that has some type of internet access for accessing Twitter while you are on the go away from a computer. For instance, look at the unlocked phones that can take GSM cards like the LG phones or even the iphone clones that you can use with AT&T GoPhone prepaid service for voice calls and internet.
*******
ORIGINAL (AND NOW *WORTHLESS*) June 23, 2010 REVIEW
WITH THE JULY 11, 2010 UPDATE....
GOOD CONCEPT BUT NOW DEAD WORTHLESS DEVICE....
DON'T BUY ANY OF THE PEEK DEVICES....
DON'T EVEN BUY THEIR SO-CALLED NEW PEEK 9....
PEEK IS A RIP-OFF. STAY VERY FAR AWAY FROM PEEK....
======================================
TwitterPeek is either something you want or it is something you really despise. There seems to be no other than two ways about it. You either like it or hate it.
For the record, I do like the TwitterPeek. However, the TwitterPeek is not for everyone. Particularly, not for those who just don't understand Twitter and certainly not for those vocal Haters who can't understand the reason for a single-purpose device like the TwitterPeek when there are the more multi-purpose smartphones like the iPhone. People definitely do want to have their smartphones and all the more power to them. And then there are those people who will want the TwitterPeek for it's single-purpose simplicity and the lack of a monthly phone bill if you get the TwitterPeek with "lifetime" service. It's a choice that the beauty and the diversity of the marketplace provides because people will buy what they want.
Okay, let's compare the two sides of those who want the TwitterPeek and those who hate the Twitterpeek.
First, this is what is typically said by those who sadly really hate and despise the TwitterPeek with a vengeance in blogs and comments around the web:
1. TwitterPeek is nothing but a piece of @#$!&* junk.
2. Twitter is a complete waste of time.
3. Isn't Twitter just like TXTing which you can do with your cell phone anyways?
4. TwitterPeek is a complete waste of money.
5. Two Hundred Dollars can be used to buy a real smartphone.
6. Get a REAL smartphone like the iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, etc.
7. TwitterPeek is another device that you have to carry.
8. The TwitterPeek interface is horrible using that Scroll Wheel.
9. Using the Scroll Wheel to go into and out of tweets is like doing email.
10. TwitterPeek doesn't show complete tweets in the timeline.
11. TwitterPeek can't do the new Twitter Lists.
12. TwitterPeek can't do multiple accounts.
13. The company behind the TwitterPeek is doomed to go out of business.
14. Real Geeks hate the TwitterPeek and you should too.
15. Only idiots would want to use a TwitterPeek.
Now, let's go on to those who happily and definitely want the TwitterPeek:
1. TwitterPeek with lifetime service is now approximately one hundred bucks on Amazon.
2. TwitterPeek with lifetime service means no monthly bills.
3. TwitterPeek with no monthly bills goes perfect with a cheap or prepaid cell phone.
4. TwitterPeek is for people who don't want a smartphone.
5. Use TwitterPeek's keyboard to quickly go through tweets instead of using the Scroll Wheel.
6. Use the N and P keys to go quickly from tweet to tweet. It's not that bad.
7. You don't have to be a Geek to use a TwitterPeek.
8. The company behind TwitterPeek shouldn't go out of business.
9. People who use the TwitterPeek are not idiots. Don't Rain On Our Parade.
10. REPEAT: TwitterPeek with lifetime service is now approximately one hundred bucks on Amazon.
The battle between the LOVE-HATE adversarial opinions about the TwitterPeek is kind of ridiculous. It's like talking about religion where the people who hate the TwitterPeek really hate the TwitterPeek with a vengeance as an automatic reflex action on their part. The one area of contention that I find to be very silly is the criticism about the navigation using the Scroll Wheel. Yes, it's BAD going in and out of tweets using the Scroll Wheel and the back button. But the better way to really quickly go through your tweets on the TwitterPeek is to use keyboard commands. Click the Enter (Return) key on a selected tweet and then use the "N" key (for Next) and the "P" key (for Previous) to go from tweet to tweet (yes, one at a time) to very quickly and seamlessly go through your twitter timeline. This has the same practical effect of what you're doing anyways if you are reading one-tweet-at-a-time whether in a timeline or not. But the die-hard twitter aficionados and critics will say that you can't scan complete tweets in the whole timeline at once. Nonetheless, if you are quickly going through tweets using keyboard commands with the "N" and "P" keys, then that shouldn't make too much of a difference when you are looking at a very small screen. The video included with this review is intended to give you an idea as to how to navigate the Twitter timeline either using the scroll-wheel or the keyboard on the TwitterPeek.
The storage space on the TwitterPeek is approximately only 7.5 megabytes. That's like teeny weeny tiny in size. That's megabytes. Not gigabytes. But we're talking about Twitter text messages that are only 140 characters long per tweet. So that's more than enough storage space. To me, this does make the TwitterPeek seem like an overly expensive device at its original price of two hundred dollars when it is such a tiny single-purpose twitter-only device. But whether at the original two-hundred dollar price tag or at the recently discounted price of approximately one-hundred bucks, whatever you're paying for the TwitterPeek with lifetime service, then that should go mostly towards the service. It's like you're prepaying mostly for the "lifetime" service and getting the TwitterPeek device for some lesser amount. And when you then average out what you've paid upfront over time, then that may turn out to be a good deal if all you want to do is twitter and assuming you don't lose or break the TwitterPeek device because the "lifetime" service is for the "lifetime" of the device that you are buying. You just have to assume and hope that the company behind the TwitterPeek (and its older sibling the Peek Pronto) stays in business to continue providing you with the online service that is suppose to send tweets to your TwitterPeek.
On a related note, regarding the online service, from what I could tell, the TwitterPeek retrieves tweets every 5-to-15 minutes. (I've noticed similar delays from some, but perhaps not all, people who do Twitter and send tweets from their smartphones.) Usually, this is okay because tweets would be coming in all the time like this. But sometimes it may look like the TwitterPeek has stopped receiving tweets. If it looks like the TwitterPeek has stopped receiving tweets, like if an hour has gone by and you don't see any new tweets, try turning the TwitterPeek off and then on. This assumes you expect to get a bunch of tweets every few minutes or so from a lot of people whom you follow. Currently, I follow over 300+ people and there will be someone or someone else (although NOT everyone at the same time all the time) tweeting something every few minutes whether during the day or at night (which could be their day if they are elsewhere in the world). So I expect to constantly be getting tweets that are waiting for me to look at in a timeline pile of tweets. (If you follow only a few people, then your frequency of receiving tweets may be less and not as often.) Then if it looks like the tweets have stopped for a long time, then the chances are the TwitterPeek may need to be rebooted. Turn the TwitterPeek off and then on to see if those missing tweets show up. If the TwitterPeek is really not getting any new tweets, then that could be for any variety of reasons like the main Twitter servers (that everyone accesses) are overwhelmed or down during very busy times like during the recent World Cup soccer games or if Twitter is having other technical problems. I've seen that happen with the regular Twitter website and with other third-party Twitter apps (like Tweetie or Hootsuite). Reboot your TwitterPeek (turn it off and then turn it back on) to see if that clears things up on your end. Or wait to see if Twitter clears up and starts updating again.
Okay, there are some other things to be aware of if you really want to get this TwitterPeek device. You can click the link in a tweet, but you'll only get the text for the webpage that the link is for. Sometimes, you may have to scroll through a bunch of text to get the main part of page that you want to read. If the linked page is too complex or if it is busy, you may get nothing. You can get pictures with the TwitterPeek but only if the links are at Twitpic (most of the time) and not anywhere else. The TwitterPeek does not do email. It only does Twitter. No multiple accounts. The battery life is suppose to last four days, but that depends on how much you use it and whether you have a good or bad signal. Maybe expect to plug it in to charge every night and be happy if you only have to charge the TwitterPeek every two days or more. It does come with a charger to plug into an electrical wall outlet. However, if you want to charge the TwitterPeek via the USB on your computer, then you'll have to get a blackberry cable to hook up the TwitterPeek to your computer to charge the TwitterPeek's battery. Don't expect firmware updates for the TwitterPeek. The folks at Peek Inc. think that the TwitterPeek works fine for the basic twitter functionality that it provides.
The TwitterPeek cannot directly handle tweets that contain foreign language characters like japanese, chinese, korean, and thai. Yet, I've noticed that japanese, chinese, korean, and, recently, thai characters in tweets are converted into romanized text. I'm guessing that a romanization conversion happens at the Peek servers before the tweets are sent to the TwitterPeek. It's not a translation, but a romanization of those script characters into text for phonetic pronunciation purposes. However, there may be some question marks or different strange characters where the conversion is not complete. I don't know about any other script languages. Also related to this, it looks like the TwitterPeek unfortunately cannot handle some symbol characters like the heart symbol or a pointing hand/finger symbol or musical note symbols that people may use in tweets -you'll get question marks instead. (NOTE TO THE PEOPLE AT PEEK: It would be visually more pleasing if any incomplete conversion be replaced by asterisks instead of question marks.)
There are other PROs and CONs for the TwitterPeek. You can read the other reviews here on Amazon and elsewhere to find out what other people say about the TwitterPeek.
As previously mentioned, YES, I do like the TwitterPeek. I find it easy to use where I primarily use keyboard commands. I've waited for Amazon to drop the price for the TwitterPeek (with "lifetime" service) before buying it. So far, I've been keeping my TwitterPeek turned on pretty much all the time -but every once in while I would turn-it-off-and-on to reboot the TwitterPeek if it looks like it "stopped" receiving tweets. What I typically do is I use the TwitterPeek when I'm away from my computer -and then when I am using my macbook then I may have the TwitterPeek plugged into the USB on the computer with a blackberry cable (a kindle cable works also) to charge the TwitterPeek's battery, and I would be accessing Twitter mostly on the computer -and later, in a kind of tag-team hand off, when I'm away from the computer, then I would be using the TwitterPeek.
However, is the TwitterPeek for you? If you really want an iPhone or some other smartphone, then this is certainly not for you. If you are not into Twitter, or if you don't understand all the hoopla surrounding Twitter, then this is particularly not for you. However, if you don't want a smartphone (like an iPhone), particularly if you don't want the monthly bill that comes with a smartphone, and if you want on-the-go twitter access, then the TwitterPeek (with "lifetime" service) may possibly be for you.
Thank you for reading and viewing this review.
P.S. UPDATE July 11, 2010:
As another point of comparison for navigating the TwitterPeek, I was looking at youtube video demonstration reviews for the AT&T Social Net app for the AT&T smartphones because I was looking at the AT&T LG Prime Prepaid GoPhone which is something like an iPhone. The AT&T Social Net application let's you access Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. and the way that you navigate the app reminds me of the TwitterPeek where the main timeline has truncated tweets that are cut off at the end of each tweet and if you want to read the whole tweet then you have to go into each individual tweet. And the fast way to go through tweets is navigating message by message. So the TwitterPeek navigation is not really new and similar navigation although in a different interface can be found on other devices.
Also, it looks like the price for the TwitterPeek is closing in on the ninety dollar mark for the "charcoal" version of the TwitterPeek. The price for the "aqua" version is under one hundred fifty at this time. I would really like to eventually get the "aqua" version. Nice. Whichever one you get, assuming you're getting the TwitterPeek with "lifetime" service, you can consider whatever amount that you're paying to be like mostly for your prepaid "lifetime" service on the device.
Anyways, the TwitterPeek is a good buy as far as I'm concerned and I've been happy with mine. And to be clear, I do *NOT* work for PEEK INC. I'm only a user of the TwitterPeek device. However, at this point, one thing that frustrates me about the TwitterPeek (and I think this may also frustrate people using the Peek Pronto which is the email version of the device that is also made by the same PEEK INC. company that makes the TwitterPeek) is the recent service outage that have occurred. One occurred on the July 4th weekend on two consecutive days and lasted several hours each day. I'm guessing that those outages were related to how the Peek Inc. company was expanding in Europe and had to get their servers working to also serve new European users of the Peek Pronto devices in multiple countries. However, I guess that I have to expect these hiccups that may happen as part of the growing pains that the PEEK INC. company may be going through as they expand worldwide. Otherwise, I've been happy with my TwitterPeek. Here's hoping for continued smooth sailing with minimal if any hiccups.
Read Best Reviews of TwitterPeek Mobile Tweeting Device (Gray) Here
The maker is going out of business and no longer is providing the service you need to use this. It will save you the time to dispose of the unit in recycling a week after receiving it. YOU CAN PAY FOR NONREFUNDABLE SERVICE that is not available , with no option for any form of refund.
Want TwitterPeek Mobile Tweeting Device (Gray) Discount?
The TwitterPeek is a handheld, dedicated Twitter device recently released by Peek, a company which also makes a similar device for email, the Peek Pronto. The TwitterPeek runs on a wireless network and allows you to Twitter from anywhere in the U.S. where you can get a T-Mobile signal. No wi-fi signal is needed. It sells for $99.99, which gives you six months of free service. After that it'll cost you $7.95 a month. Or you can buy a TwitterPeek for $199.99, which gives you free service for the lifetime of the unit, no monthly fees ever.
I was very excited about the TwitterPeek when news of it surfaced. I was initially put off by the cost of the device, but my lust for the TwitterPeek got the better of me, and I also rethought my position somewhat. The unit itself costs $52.29 if you subtract the six months of service from the $99.99 price tag. Or for $199 you get potentially years' worth of always-on connection to Twitter. Go the latter route and it becomes very cost-effective over time if you're a big Twitter user.
Given my excitement about the release of the TwitterPeek, I was very interested in following its reception in the Twittersphere. So I was really shocked to read that early impressions of the product were extremely negative. I shouldn't say impressions of the product, I guess, because most of the people who were Twittering and blogging about the device early on had never seen or used one. There were two main objections to the device raised: (1) it only does Twitter, and multi-function devices are superior; single-use devices should be avoided; and (2) smartphones already do Twitter, so there's no need for a dedicated Twitter device. These objections, worth raising, were, however, often accompanied by a surprising amount of vitriol. For some reason, a lot of people don't want such a device to exist: they see no use for it themselves, and don't want other people to see a use for it either.
Regarding the two objections above, the point is, it really depends on your needs. If you have a smartphone that's already giving you always-on Twitter, then there's absolutely no need for you to buy a TwitterPeek. But not everyone wants to cough up the monthly fees required for smartphones. I myself hate using the phone, landline or cell. I have a basic Tracfone that cost me $20 to buy and costs me $20 every THREE MONTHS to keep going. I hardly ever use it, but it's good to have for emergencies. I have an iPod Touch that gives me virtually all the benefits of an iPhone, but without a camera (which I don't need) and without the cell phone (which I don't need or want). But I'm tethered to wi-fi with it. So what am I missing? The ability to Twitter when I'm away from a wi-fi signal. That's what TwitterPeek provides.
Some people may object as well that one doesn't NEED to Twitter at all times, and of course that's true. But it's a good way to stay in touch with friends and family, and it's a legitimate a mode of communication. If you don't like Twitter or use it enough to want to use it on the go, then again, the TwitterPeek isn't for you.
There have also been, let's say, more rational reviews of the TwitterPeek that have criticized its features, which is fine. I just object to the crazed bashing that has occurred over the very existence of the device.
After a lot of obsessive TwitterPeek watching I finally bought myself one, and I've been using it pretty intensively for the last 24 hours. It's a mix of good and bad; some things could be improved. But on the whole, I like it, and I'm not sorry to have spent the money. In more detail:
SET-UP
The set-up of the device is simple--you pretty much just input your existing Twitter credentials. But it wasn't immediately obvious from the documentation that you have to activate your device online first. Once you do that, it only takes a couple minutes to be up and running.
NAVIGATION: SCROLL WHEEL AND KEYBOARD
The TwitterPeek comes with a full QWERTY keyboard, which is really nice. The keys are stiff but not too stiff, with the exception of the space bar, which is a little too stiff for my comfort. On my second day of ownership I gave myself a typing test to see how many characters I could type in one minute on the TwitterPeek vs. the iPod Touch (which I've owned for close to a year). The results:
* iPod Touch: 206 characters with 5 mistakes
* TwitterPeek: 173 characters with 0 mistakes
As other reviewers have noticed, navigating the TwitterPeek's menus and viewing tweets using the scroll wheel is much too awkward. Happily, most actions can be performed with keyboard shortcuts. These work very nicely. My favorite detail is that you can hold down a letter or number key and it will become either a capital or the associated symbol. (One shortcut I discovered but didn't see in the documentation: shift-S for settings menu.)
Still, there are some things that you have to use the scroll bar for, which is unfortunate. Ideally, I would like to have every action performable from the keyboard. That means, I'd like to somehow see directional keys on the keyboard. The Kindle's four-way toggle comes to mind as a possiblity. (To move left or right within a tweet you're writing you have to press shift and use the scroll wheel.) When you're in a menu, or a tweet for that matter, you have to back out using the back button on the side of the device. To me it seems unnatural to use buttons on the side when you're otherwise focused on the keyboard--it's disruptive, like reaching for a mouse when you're typing. So I'd like to have a back button on the keyboard. I'd also like to have a quicker way to get to the home screen than backing out two or three times if you're inside the menus (shift-H?).
The keyboard, by the way, is lockable in case you're worried about accidental keystrokes. Though I think the keys are stiff enough that that's not a likely problem.
ABILITY TO FAVORITE A TWEET NEEDED
You can follow links that are included in tweets received, but you'll only get a text copy of the web page. In some cases this is fine, but it's obviously not always going to be enough. This doesn't bother me, because I'm happy to wait until I get to my computer to view interesting links. However, to this end I'd like to be able to favorite a tweet as a sort of bookmark so I can go back to it easily (for example, shift-F would work nicely). This isn't possible currently. Instead, I've been reduced to direct messaging myself the tweet as a reminder, which is an annoying work-around.
NOTIFICATIONS
You can be notified of new tweets either by a sound (there's are five choices, but I prefer the chirp) or by vibration or both. You can be notified either of all tweets or only @messages and dm's, or you can turn notifications off. In addition, when new tweets come in the little envelope in the upper left of the device blinks. I rather like hearing my TwitterPeek chirp throughout the day, I must say. I would suggest two improvements to notifications:
1. Make it possible to receive different alerts for @messages and dm's vs. other new tweets. For example, one might want to hear chirps for stuff that's directed at you, but a different sound or only vibration for regular tweets.
2. There is an airplane mode on the device, which I gather shuts down the wireless connectivity temporarily. (I'm not sure why that's preferable to turning it off.) But I would like to have a temporary mute button. Sure, you can go into the menus to turn the alerts off when you want to, but it would be easier to be able to, say, shift-M them away for the length of a movie.
ABILITY TO MARK TWEETS AS READ NEEDED
People have complained that the TwitterPeek makes reading your tweets difficult because it only lists the first lines of the tweets on your home screen. You see part of the Twitter id of the person sending the message then a snippet of the tweet and then the time it was sent. In real use I haven't found this problematic. Most often I go into a tweet and then jump to the next one or the previous one using the N and P keyboard shortcuts. Also, if the full tweets were displayed then you would only be able to see two or three at a time, which would increase the amount of scrolling you have to do, which would be bad.
I do dislike very much, however, the fact that the TwitterPeek does not mark as read tweets that you have entered to read. I hate to guess where I've left off reading in the Twitter stream. (Though it does keep your last place highlighted as new tweets come in.)
SPEED
Sitting with my TwitterPeek in front of my Mac with Tweetie open on the desktop, the reception of tweets by the two devices is roughly the same. Sometimes a tweet will come in first on Tweetie, sometimes on TwitterPeek. There's been no noticeable difference. (Where the TwitterPeek does lag slightly is when performing functions like discarding an unfinished tweet. But it's not a huge lag.)
APPEARANCE
The device itself is pretty attractive, I think. It has a solid feel. The keyboard is nicely laid out. I particularly appreciate that so much information is relayed in a tiny, attractive strip at the top of the color screen:
You have the Twitter logo, then a signal strength indicator, battery indicator, time and date, and the Twitter bird (which flies when it's communicating with the network), and finally the name of the screen you're on (home, settings, etc.). A lot of information in an attractively designed space.
As for the font of the tweets, it's not as attractive as what one sees on the iPod Touch/iPhone--I'm thinking here of Tweetie 2 (a great app). Somehow the TwitterPeek font looks like it's not smooth.
The appearance of the tweets would also be improved by the inclusion of avatars. These do not currently appear with the tweets.
DIRECT MESSAGES
I actually haven't quite figured this out yet. But it seems that direct messages that I send out appear on my home page as messages in. (I've confirmed and they are sent as dm's, however.) This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's confusing.
ONE ACCOUNT AT A TIME
You can only have one Twitter account associated with your TwitterPeek at a time. That is, if you want, you can switch between accounts by resetting your information, but there's no easy way to move from one account to another. Obviously, it would be better if you could do that.
SEARCH
You can search the messages that are on your device, but you cannot search the Twitterstream as a whole. The more I use Twitter, the more I think that search is an enormously important aspect of it. So it would be nice to be able to follow keyword searches on the TwitterPeek on the go. Then again, I can catch up once I'm back at my computer, so it's not a huge negative for me.
-Debra Hamel
I have a Twitter Peek and after being without service for many months I finally got support to answer my ticket, after first being pitched the shiny new Peek 9 and refusing it several times I was basically told that because of Twitter's API changes the Twitter Peek Lifetime will never again be in service. Ever.
To be clear, these do not work right now and will never work again. That was admitted by Peek themselves, told to me directly by customer support. I do not understand why these are still for sale.
On top of that their customer support system is awful. It takes weeks and sometimes months to get a reply. There are folks out there with monthly service plans being billed endlessly for service that doesn't exist.
