WASHINGTON?Hot microblogging service Twitter launched an application for the Apple iPad on Thursday to rave reviews from technology blogs.

The free official "Twitter for iPad" program allows Twitter users to send and receive the 140-character-or-less messages known as "tweets" as well as open links to Web content.

Twitter has a website but most users opt to use third-party applications to access the service rather than the somewhat non-user friendly Twitter.com.

The Twitter application for the touchscreen iPad, which is available from Apple's App Store, allows users to tap a message with their finger and see any related content in a separate window pane.

"Depending on the content in that Tweet, you'll see a video or photo, or maybe a news story, or perhaps another tweet," Twitter said in a blog post.

"Twitter for iPad takes advantage of the iPad's fluid touch interface, letting you move lots of information around smoothly and quickly ? without needing to open and close windows or click buttons," Twitter added.

Dan Frommer of Silicon Alley Insider described the Twitter iPad application as "really slick." "(It) has already become our Twitter app of choice on the iPad," he said.

MG Siegler of TechCrunch said "it has now been a few days since I first played with Twitter for iPad, and I still think it is hands-down the best iPad app out there.

"It's that good," Siegler said, adding that the application provides "a great experience for reading tweets ? and more importantly, reading the links your friends share."