If you're a Twitter user with iPad, maybe you've been waiting for this for a long time. Twitter just released the official Twitter for iPad app and it's remarkable.

The new app interface is a series of panes that can be expanded and retracted, opened easily without the need to click on any fiddly buttons. Simple navigation options down the left of the app allow you to flick between your timeline, mentions, DMs, lists or searches. and the brilliant "slide to refresh" feature you'll probably already know and love from Twitter for iPhone app (now it's universal, runs on both iPad and iPhone).

The size of the iPad screen means you can read articles, or view photos and videos while still keeping the rest of the app's functions in view, there're some neat touches that allow you to view information quickly. When you click on a link in a tweet, the internal browser slides in from the right to display the article, photo or video. Also, if a tweet uses a hashtag, then clicking on it will bring up that tweet and others underneath that use the same tag. Follower suggestions are another useful feature. If you select a user's profile it suggests similar users to follow further down the page, that is a good way to find interesting people to follow. Also, there are several ways you can follow tweeted conversations: using a two-fingered drag, you can take a peek at the chain of messages. If you just tap on a tweet and it's a response to another tweet, you'll see the chain of messages in a full pane.

Now let's start a new tweet. As shown in the screenshot below, you'd be surprised how much you'll appreciate large, readable text. The text entry field looks like a notepad, which is an apt metaphor for writing on the iPad. Also on the text entry field are buttons for attaching photos from your iPad photo library, tweeting your present location, or shrinking URLs.

The settings for the app are rather simple, which I also find to be refreshing. Other than adding or editing accounts, there are two other buttons: Services and Advanced. Services lets you set up your image service, video service and read later service (Instapaper or Read It Later). Advanced has buttons for setting image quality, show hashtags in trends, enabling TextExpander, and turning sound effects on and off. There's also a button for installing a Safari bookmarklet - tapping it directs you to Safari, where you're given directions on how to set up the bookmarklet.

This new Twitter app makes it much easier to read tweets, get at the content contained within, and to see user's details and the flow of conversations. However, there are a few minor glitches that need to be addressed. The internal browser is slow to open a linked article, although it’s smooth once opened. It can also be harder than it should be to close exposed panes when sliding them back to the right. Sometimes they get “stuck” midway, requiring an extra slide to get them off the screen. Anyway, it's really nice to see Twitter team and Loren Brichter have carried on Tweetie's legacy of UI innovation with Twitter for iPad. Great job guys!