Saturday, April 7, 2012

Sparrow for iOS and Mac

Like many of us, I'd always used webmail on a desktop and iOS mail client on both the iPhone and iPad. The Gmail clients which essentially have been the web client with an iOS overlay were basically poor in comparison and quickly deleted from my devices.

I've been using Sparrow for iPhone and OSX for a number of weeks now and I must say, they are solid apps.  Using a universal UI across both platforms shows the quality of the development in terms of the design and user experience they are aiming at. The UI reminds me of a cross between the Facebook in its swipe from the right to reveal the side panel and Tweetbots, in terms of a left swipe to reveal mail management task icons. Very nice.

Downsides?  In the iPhone app, there's no push notification yet.  Sparrow have blogged that they are working on it, with out without Apple's help given some of the policies Apple have on allowing developer to create a duplicate iOS functional app which Apple already provide.  Similarly, the Mac app needs this additional functionality to sit and notify of new mail on the OSX menu bar. Kind of deal-breakers really, particularly on the iOS side. But the app is so nice, you're willing to give the Sparrow guys a chance to get it in at a later date.

Sparrow is the sort of app that at £2.99 in the UK for a iPhone app and £6.99 for the Mac OSX app is expensive, given what is bundled for free on both platforms. However, we're all lovers of the journey of great design and experience, so you're bound to get in and have a look aren't you? And no, I don't get a kick-back on this either.

Lastly, Sparrow guys - let's get that iPad app version out as quick as possible, eh? Doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise you must be working on it...

No comments:

Post a Comment