BBC iPlayer For Mac This Year

The BBC has announced that its iPlayer service, currently only available for PCs, will have a Mac version before the end of 2008.

It was a decision that raised a lot of hackles. But when the BBC officially launched its iPlayerservice that lets people stream or download programs and watch them for a week after they were first aired, it was only available for PC.   It’s still that way, but at least there’sfinally hope for Mac users.   In a blog posting, BBC director general Mark Thompson wrote,   "I hope this good news is evidence of the hard work that the BBC is committing tosupporting other platforms."   It’s a little late, but certainly better than not at all. Thompson defended the decision to initially release just a PC version by explaining that itwas a way to make the service available quickly to the majority of users.   "Were we to choose to not develop any systems or services until they could be received by every single individuallicence-fee payer, our capacity for development and innovation – in the interest of serving those who fund our services – would be severely limited."   So those Mac users who miss theweek’s episode of Dr. Who will have to wait a little while longer to catch up. Or just, er, look elsewhere.