Can Path 2 Make Micro-Social Mainstream?

The buzz created by the re-designed Path app is the envy of the social networking world.

Its premise is simple: upload photos, check-in, share what songs you’re grooving to, or post a Thought to friends all in one place. To make the app even more approachable, the developers have made communicating your actions to top social networking platforms extremely simple. While using Path when I went to P.O.V. in D.C. this past weekend, it only took a few quick taps to earn points on Foursquare, share with my friends on Facebook, and Tweet it to my Twitter followers. I even had the option of posting to Tumblr.

Path has one of the smoothest interfaces I’ve ever used on an iPhone app. As a first-time user, I was pleasantly surprised by how light and responsive it was to all functions – especially compared to the cumbersome new Facebook app. Although it encourages users to share just about everything with their friends, Path puts a high premium on being selective with whom you choose to connect. While other social networking tools are built upon the premise that a bigger friends list is a better friends list, Path goes out of their way to encourage you to narrow down your network to just a select few. They know that as your friend count grows, you’re more likely to think twice about those who are seeing your updates. With so many different functions to embrace, Path wants to help you eliminate that concern from the equation.

Path is an ultra sleek all-in-one app that gives social networking nuts like me a one-stop shop. Having said that, it doesn’t take long to notice that while Path is a jack-of-all-trades, it is a master of none. Many of its functions – particularly photo sharing – are already dominated by apps like Instagram and Flickr. The bottom line is that although I really want to use the app, Path doesn’t have that homerun swing that is essential in convincing me to stop using those apps and convert to theirs for good.

Yet.