AOL Brings Communicator to Mac

As part of AOL's sustained effort to shore up its Web properties, the company has delivered AOL Communicator to Mac users. Communicator is a unified client that assimilates e-mail, instant messaging and an address book into a single code base.

The release for OS X -- available at Keyword: AOL Communicator -- sports a Mac centric look and feel, while at the same time shedding some of the excess bells and whistles found in its Windows brethren.

Marked by the code-name "Photon" during its development, Communicator was released to Windows users in August following two and a half years of work.

The Communicator suite was initially spawned by the lackluster reception of Netscape 6 in November 2000.

AOL admitted that some features did not port over to Communicator's Mac release - many tantamount to bloat. Mac enthusiasts will find that the My AOL Today screen saver and ticker are not included. In addition, the Mac version also excludes Radio@AOL.

"We're always looking to provide our members with the best online experience possible by offering them the latest features and services," an AOL spokesperson told BetaNews. "AOL Communicator is part of our return to investing in innovation to make our members' lives easier - whether they are just starting out on the Internet or are seasoned pros."