I’ve used a lot of Twitter applications. I’ve reviewed at least four on this site. I generally don’t stick with a single application for more than a week or two. TweetDeck has become the only exception to that rule - it has changed the way I use Twitter. I started using it back when it was somewhere around version 0.15. Since then, it’s evolved into an extremely powerful tool.

If you haven’t used TweetDeck, you really don’t know what you’re missing. Users of Tweenky will find a number of similarities with TweetDeck, but I think TweetDeck is still the best Twitter client. It puts a ridiculous amount of information right at your fingertips, but does it in a way that’s easy to manage and use. It takes a columnar approach to tweet display and allows you to create columns for a multitude of categories including replies, searches, direct messages, favorites, groups, TwitScoop, and 12seconds.tv.

The latest release of TweetDeck (v 0.20b) came out today and implements a stunning number of fixes and new features. One of my favorite features is the ability to filter a stream based on keywords. You can choose to include or exclude a keyword to refine what’s displayed in that column. Oh, how handy this could have been during the election.

Some of TweetDeck’s most prominent appeal comes from its ability to usefully display a wealth of information. While some argue that there’s too much of a need for desktop real estate, I feel that TweetDeck’s implementation of columns is a perfect approach to enabling multiple streams without having to switch views. You can literally just watch the tweets go by without lifting a finger. Naturally, your experience will vary based on the amount of screen space you let it have, but it’s much better served for use with a widescreen monitor.

A single feature does not make a good Twitter client. Many great features, a solid user base, and listening to user requests has made TweetDeck the best Twitter client on the market today. It is a true power user’s tool, which may ultimately make Twitter noobs shy away from it. Trust me when I say once you’ve learned how to use TweetDeck effectively, you’ll probably never use another desktop Twitter client.