Del
Newbie
Personally I'm not a huge fan of the doubleTwist desktop client (I prefer Songbird). However when I read that they where releasing this mobile application I couldn't help but find some intrigue, so I downloaded the program...I wasn't disappointed.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that everyone's experience is going to be different and considering that this application JUST came out, it is going to have some issues that apps like say, TuneWiki etc. won't have due to their already established service records. Additionally being the proud owner of a rooted Moto A855 I found that many apps aren't as amiable with Android 2.2 as they were with 2.1, so prospective customers to the dT app should not be discouraged by the number of disgruntled comments. So without further ado, my first impressions.
DoubleTwist is definitely one of the best looking media players on the Android Market today, I didn't find a single graphic out of place and it all looked very nicely finished and crisp. Being a GUI enthusiast I felt that the cleanliness this app sports so early on in development makes up for most of the shortcomings it displays in the performance area...speaking of which.
The app works very well on a basic level, at least in my experience. I haven't had a single FC since I downloaded the app and it seemed to get along with other ongoing processes as I went about my day. Of course as you may have already guessed it's not without it's faults. Like most media players the app picks up ALL media on the phone so one minute I found myself listening to Alright by Supergrass and the next I was having my ears destroyed by a rather loud and annoying ringtone. A simple fix for this would be an option to select specific folders for the app to look at when acquiring media to play.
The second of minor grievances I experience with the program was the lack of a landscape option for docking the phone. Many are familiar with the Droid's signature car and desk docks (both of which I enjoy) and while I usually opt for portrait mode when using my Droid in the car, I haven't much choice when using the desk dock and if I want to enjoy my media all in one place ala doubleTwist I am reduced to tilting my head to select the music I will be listening to.
The last of personal annoyances is the lack of a "play all songs" option in the artists section of the music portion of the app. True it is possible to play all of the song by an artist by long pressing their name and selecting play all, but it's nice to be able to be presented with a list of their work and being able to select a song and jump ahead to the next without having to continuously press the "next" button in the now playing screen.
All in all the doubleTwist Android application preforms admirably for a first attempt, the basic functions appear stable enough, the UI is clean and easy to navigate, and while it's lacking in options, the first release has enough to it that one could use it as a suitable replacement to the vanilla Android music player, and the integration of video and picture viewing is a nice touch. This app does however have a long road ahead of it before it becomes a crowd favorite. I'll be rooting for dT in the future and I recommend that those of you looking for a new media client give it a download and see for yourself.
PS: It is also important to note that the doubleTwist app is free now, but if the description in the market is anything to go by, it won't be for long so get it for nothing while you can!
The most important thing to keep in mind is that everyone's experience is going to be different and considering that this application JUST came out, it is going to have some issues that apps like say, TuneWiki etc. won't have due to their already established service records. Additionally being the proud owner of a rooted Moto A855 I found that many apps aren't as amiable with Android 2.2 as they were with 2.1, so prospective customers to the dT app should not be discouraged by the number of disgruntled comments. So without further ado, my first impressions.
DoubleTwist is definitely one of the best looking media players on the Android Market today, I didn't find a single graphic out of place and it all looked very nicely finished and crisp. Being a GUI enthusiast I felt that the cleanliness this app sports so early on in development makes up for most of the shortcomings it displays in the performance area...speaking of which.
The app works very well on a basic level, at least in my experience. I haven't had a single FC since I downloaded the app and it seemed to get along with other ongoing processes as I went about my day. Of course as you may have already guessed it's not without it's faults. Like most media players the app picks up ALL media on the phone so one minute I found myself listening to Alright by Supergrass and the next I was having my ears destroyed by a rather loud and annoying ringtone. A simple fix for this would be an option to select specific folders for the app to look at when acquiring media to play.
The second of minor grievances I experience with the program was the lack of a landscape option for docking the phone. Many are familiar with the Droid's signature car and desk docks (both of which I enjoy) and while I usually opt for portrait mode when using my Droid in the car, I haven't much choice when using the desk dock and if I want to enjoy my media all in one place ala doubleTwist I am reduced to tilting my head to select the music I will be listening to.
The last of personal annoyances is the lack of a "play all songs" option in the artists section of the music portion of the app. True it is possible to play all of the song by an artist by long pressing their name and selecting play all, but it's nice to be able to be presented with a list of their work and being able to select a song and jump ahead to the next without having to continuously press the "next" button in the now playing screen.
All in all the doubleTwist Android application preforms admirably for a first attempt, the basic functions appear stable enough, the UI is clean and easy to navigate, and while it's lacking in options, the first release has enough to it that one could use it as a suitable replacement to the vanilla Android music player, and the integration of video and picture viewing is a nice touch. This app does however have a long road ahead of it before it becomes a crowd favorite. I'll be rooting for dT in the future and I recommend that those of you looking for a new media client give it a download and see for yourself.
PS: It is also important to note that the doubleTwist app is free now, but if the description in the market is anything to go by, it won't be for long so get it for nothing while you can!