‘WhatsApp’ Or ‘Hownow’?
(For PCWorld Pakistan)
Although it would be impolite, try reaching out to Blackberry user and ask one on face, what’s keeping him/her stuck to the device? Not always, but quite often, the rat on the pothole is the Blackberry Messenger (BBM). As most would know, it is an always-on chat network that lets users communicate IM-style (Instant Messaging-style) without having to sign up or use their monthly allotment of text messages with a small daily-deduction. Challenging its sovereignty over Blackberry is WhatsApp, another IM-style chatting app. From what can be judged, there will be others to follow.
Therefore we decided to have a look at a couple of other smart phone messenger apps available in the market, and on different platforms, that lets user chat IM-Style for free. Let’s take a look at WhatsApp versus a newbie, Hownow!
WhatsApp is smartphone messenger which helps you send message between different phones and platforms. It basically uses the internet to send instant messages to your friends, keeping your text allowance nice and high.
Using push notifications, WhatsApp also allows you to send videos, images and voice notes to your contacts free of charge. This is particular useful for sharing photos quickly with your friends. There is no need to add friends using pins or user names; if a friend has WhatsApp and is in contacts list then the app will automatically add that friend to WhatsApp buddies list. WhatsApp also let the users do group chats with multiple friends like using MSN messenger. Additionally, with custom statuses, you can tell everyone what’s on your mind or where you are.
WhatsApp is currently available on iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, and Nokia phones. It can be downloaded from their respective app stores. The iPhone app costs $0.99 while it’s free for BlackBerry users and Nokia users. It is free for one year for Android users but they will be charged $0.99 after one year.
Hownow
Hownow is another free messenger app but it is limited to iPhone users only. It is a located based social networking app where users present their ideas with semi-anonymous names; whatever name they like, for e.g. they can even use their Zodiac sign as their name.
This app, too, does not require any log-in ID or sign-up system to use and takes up communication level from a “Worldwide level†to “City†level, to “Neighborhood†level or even at the “Block†level. It’s just that the other users need to have the app downloaded on their iPhones as well. The storage of the messages depends on the users’ needs i.e. for an hour, for one day, for one week, for one month, or forever. With Hownow, the iPhone users can also share photos with each other. Moreover, they can also sync their Twitter accounts for cross-sharing purposes.
The app has recently been acquired by Betaworks, a New York based incubator for social-media startups. The company has revised the app with small adjustments and inclusion of Google Maps. As mentioned, the app is only available for iPhone and the company does not have any sorts of plans to launch it on other platforms.
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