The BBC reports that its iPlayer is now available for both Mac and Linux, which allows users on those platforms to download as well as view programs. Specifically, BBC in conjunction with Adobe has delivered a new application, BBC iPlayer Desktop,
Of course, this new found freedom comes with strings attached:
✦ viewers may stream program for up to seven days after broadcast
✦ download and watch them for up to 30 days.
✦ and, saddest of all, people outside of the UK aren't eligible
When the iPlayer first launched, the BBC was criticized for producing versions that only worked with Microsoft's Windows XP and which used Microsoft's digital rights management (DRM) system to enforce viewing restrictions.
Editor's note: Although iPlayer isn't available outside the UK, the rest of us can vicariously share in the satisfaction of seeing Microsoft being shown the door...
