Audible.com now Mac compatible

We told you it was coming and now it's here: Audible, Amazon.com's audiobook service, is now compatible with the Mac.

"I am glad to report that Phase One of Audible's Mac compatibility is up and ready to go," Dan Scheffey told MacCentral.

In this initial phase, Mac users can listen to the selection of Audible programs on their desktops or laptops using RealNetworks' Real Player. You'll need Mac OS 8.6 or higher to use RealPlayer and the accompanying Audible plug-in.

Audible also has an introductory special for Mac users: you can select any five titles from the following list of titles and pay just $2.95 for the five:

RobinWilliams @ audible.com: two episodes of the Oscar-winning funnyman engaged in off-kilter conversations with Monty Python's Eric Idle and George Lucas;

Scientific American: the latest edition of the science and technology monthly;

In Bed with Susie Bright: a one-month subscription to the weekly audio show that offers an educational take on sex;

Star Tek: First Contact: we're talking the Borg (need we say more);

The Wall Street Journal, a two-week subscription to the audio edition of newspaper;

A Short Guide to a Happy Life: novelist and columnist Anna Quindlen reflects on what it takes to "get a life";

AudibleProops: a one-month subscription to the weekly comedy of Greg Proops, as seen on TV's "Whose Line Is It Anyway?";

Fast Company: an edition of this "workstyle" magazine.

Later this year, Audible plans to bring full feature parity for its service to both platforms, something that's currently lacking. For instance, Mac users can't offload Audible files to handheld and or pocket devices. However, a mobile solution is in the works.