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The decision means that Mac users will have to boot back into Mac OS 9 in order to access AOL's network.

The company released a beta version of its software for Mac OS X earlier in the year to a select group of users. However, in an email to its beta testers, the company effectively ended the beta test, citing problems that occurred after the introduction

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of Mac OS X 10.1.

In the email, Dominic Wells, editor-in-chief of AOL UK, claimed 'As a result of the recent changes in Apple's operating systems, we had to redesign the AOL software from the ground up. [The previous beta] became unworkable and therefore redundant when Apple released Mac OS X v10.1. We are currently evaluating the economic viability of starting this development process again from scratch.'

The decision seems to be due to the low number of Mac users in the UK using the service, coupled with the even lower number currently using Mac OS X. AOL UK has not issued a figure for its number of subscribers, but independent Web site ISPReview.co.uk estimates it has 1.5 million UK users, making it the third largest ISP in the UK after Freeserve and Tiscali. Of these, it is estimated that up to 50,000 are Mac users, with only a few using Mac OS X exclusively.