SBC Communications, owner of Internet service provider Prodigy, has confirmed with MacCentral that its recently released SBC Yahoo! Dial software is not Mac OS X compatible. The company said such work is on the drawing boards for the next major revision.
The software, which makes it possible for Prodigy users to connect to local Points of Presence (POPs) using their modems, ships on CD. It includes a customized browser with built-in instant messaging and other features, and runs in Mac OS 9 only. SBC said that the dialup software won’t run in Mac OS X, either natively or in “Classic” mode. A company spokesperson said there’s no workaround available, but said that Mac OS X support is a top priority for the company’s future Mac dialup software development.
“Mac OS X compatibility is a primary objective for the next version,” explained SBC spokesperson Laura Bond Williams. Williams could not provide a specific release schedule for that new version, however. So if you’re a Prodigy dial-up user, you’re either relegated to Mac OS 9 for the moment or you’re going to have to find a new Internet service provider.
Williams also indicated that the company’s SBC Yahoo! DSL service, which is set to debut late next month, will support Mac OS X.