Plurk came out as a rival to
Twitter, amongst other lesser-known microblogging sites like Jaiku, Yammer,
identi.ca, and even Google’s less successful Google Buzz. While the rest
haven’t survived the phenomenon of Twitter, Plurk stayed, floating on the
sidelines, but propelled by the Taiwanese social networking aficionados’ heavy
use of the service. Filipinos are also heavy users of Plurk, though Americans
haven’t caught on to Plurk’s unique charm, as they seem to favor Twitter.
Plurka for Android is
possibly the best app for Plurk on the Android Market. There are only two
top-rated apps there: Plurka by anddevtw and PlurQ by Qiss.
Plurk for Android by Maxthon is rated with only 2 stars, and the reviews are
dismal. One reviewer noted that Plurk for Android by Maxthon requires the
download of the Maxthon browser, while others complained that the app needs you
to redownload it every time you open it for use. Not worth downloading, even to
test, wethinks. In fact, the screenshots show that it’s not worth your time at
all.
So, why do we love Plurka? It
has got to be the beautiful interface.
Plurka by anddevtw comes with the near-black gray of the Android’s Settings area. Thus,
the images on your timeline stand out. Not only that, the icons are such eye
candy that it’s tempting to press everything. Okay, we’re being like kids in a
candy store, but that’s how it really feels.
If you want to Like a
friend’s Plurk, all you need to do is to long press on that Plurk post and you
can choose from an array of actions, including Like. Other actions include:
The long press on a user’s
individual Plurk post leads to all those options, where another user can even
send them a Private Plurk, view their Profile, and even their Timeline.
If you’re Karma-obsessed,
you can view your Karma by going to the Menu via your phone’s Menu softkey
option and going to “My Profile.” Your Karma is indicated there.
PlurQ by Qiss is a fair app, but the graphics and interface as so kitschy compared to
Plurka. Thus, we’d rather recommend Plurka than PlurQ. Even iOS users would
love to have Plurka on their Apple devices, but as of now, it is only available
for the Android.
For more notes on which
browsers are best for which Plurk function, please go here.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our
series on the social networks and whether the app or just using these on your
mobile browser is better. Enjoy Facebooking, Tweeting, Google+ -ing and
Plurking for the weekend!
***
If you’re like most
Filipinos, you probably have a Yahoo account, a Facebook account and a Twitter
account. Then if you’re a bit more adventurous, you probably have a Gmail, a
Plurk, a Foursquare, and probably even a Formspring. Then when you’ve hung out
for at least a year or so in the social networking arena, you probably have
your own preferences. Even if you have accounts in the other websites, we bet
you have one or two closest to your heart.
Be it Facebook, Twitter or
Plurk, we bet that there’s one or two social network that you’re a rabid
die-hard of. And you may be thinking of getting the app for your Android, if
you haven’t already done so.
However, there are just some
social networking sites that are better used on the browser. Here is our review
of the Top Four Social Networking websites and which ones are better off used
through Android Apps and which would be better used via which browser.
Facebook. Let’s face it,
Facebook is the king of social networking at the moment. Having rendered
MySpace, Friendster, Orkut and even Yahoo 360 obsolete, Facebook, even at the threat of Google+, has yet to die down in
popularity.
Twitter. Twitter is among
the social networking giants because of its commercial value. The major
companies, Hollywood’s celebrities, and even the
Philippines’
stars all seem to bask in the extension of their PR machinery on there.
Stay on Opera Mini. While
the Twitter app’s interface is definitely sleek and gorgeous, the icons are
confusing and not at all like the web version. If you’re new to the app, some
functions are unfamiliar, and even confusing. The first time we used the app,
the “Your Tweets, Retweeted” function somehow appeared on the button denoting
mentions (the @ button). Later, we tried looking for the area to access this
function, but even after tinkering with the buttons accessible from the Home
area or the My Profile area, we turned up with nothing.
Refreshing the app is okay
in the Home area, but times out in the other sections of the app, like in the
mentions or the messages. Also, if you’ve hated the web version of Twitter
because of its heavy, resource-hungry nature, you’ll find that it’s almost the
same with the Android app version.
While the mobile site is
definitely not eye candy, especially compared to the Android App, you may find
that it’s lighter on your system, simpler to use, and won’t take up ROM space.
These are the first of the
Big Four Social Networking websites we’re reviewing for the Android. Wait for
Part 2 of this feature later this evening.
Note: The links to the social network services mentioned lead to the Android App available on the Android Market. We linked it there for your ease, because we're considerate and caring like that. :)
***
*Android Alliance Philippines does not necessarily agree with the views and opinions of the websites whose pictures we borrow. We just make it a point to give credit where credit is due.
