Destined to obsolescence before it's even begun

A couple of weeks ago we brought you news of the WikiReader, a gadget that gives access to Wikipedia but has no other real use. The latest gizmo form Peek Inc. is also designed to do one thing only, giving access to Twitter and not a lot else, but unlike the WikiReader we are distinctly unimpressed with it.

The TwitterPeek has a colour screen and a full QWERTY keyboard and a click/scroll wheel, from which you can send and receive tweets, retweet and send direct messages without the need for a WiFi connection.

In addition to the basic tweeting mechanisms such as following and unfollowing other tweeters, the TwitterPeek will also allow you to view TwitPic images and follow the links posted in the messages of others, displaying web pages in plain text. The device also alerts you to new messages with a variety of chirking and ringing noises as well as some general vibrating.

One major disappointment with the TwitterPeek is that it can only cope with one account, which many people with multiple Twitter identities will find frustrating. If, for example, you used one as a tool to communicate with work contacts and another to organise your social life, then you wouldn’t be able to log into both from the same device.

Another irritation is the fact that you need to select a particular tweet in order to view it in full, as the standard view is an abridged version of the messages. Also, when you’ve decided to follow someone you get to see their tweets from that point onwards, but can’t see any that they’ve made before hand.

Also, there’s no search function, which seems ridiculous given that this is the best way of finding interesting people to follow.

Peek Inc. claims that the TwitterPeek fills a gap in the market, catering to Twitter addicts who have no desire to own a smartphone but nonetheless want access on the go.

“Because TwitterPeek is designed for Twitter, it provides a tweeting experience superior to any website or smartphone application. No more waiting for tweets to download or clicking the “more” button to see old tweets. TwitterPeek’s “always on” tweet delivery makes it a snap to follow 100’s of people throughout the course of your day. Best of all, you don’t have to spend $50/month on an expensive smartphone data plan to get Twitter.”

I would suggest that most people tech savvy enough to have joined the Twittersphere also have an interest in the other flavours of online social networking, such as Facebook, Flickr, Bebo and the rest. In light of this, it’s difficult to see who will be interested in buying the TwitterPeek, particularly when so many mid range phones offer far superior Twitter interfaces.

We predict that real Twitter addicts will find the TwitterPeek restrictive, and casual users simply won’t feel the desire to own one.

If, on the other hand, this is just what you’ve always wanted, the TwitterPeek is available for pre-order now on Amazon under two separate price plans. For a one off fee of $199.95 you can purchase the device with a lifetime of access to Twitter over the mobile phone networks. If that seems like too large an initial outlay, the other option is to pay $99.95 up-front for six months worth of access. Thereafter you’ll have to pay a monthly fee of $7.95 to stay connected.

NB: If I were them I’d have named it the TweetPeek – much snappier.