MSN Unplugs Mac

I love old sayings. Here's one, for example: The more things change, the more things stay the same. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has announced that come May, its MSN Internet service provider service will no longer be available for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) Macintosh platform. This seems the kind of headline that seems alarming at first, but the more you think of it, the more yawn-worthy it becomes.

It wasn't long ago that in light of Apple's own Safari browser, Microsoft said that it will no longer develop new versions of its Internet Explorer browser for Mac. Many Mac users likely just said good riddance, seeing how Safari does a perfectly good job of surfing the Web. (There's also a little upstart called Firefox that supports Mac, of course.)

Meanwhile, the news, which came from CNET, may very well bring back old memories of the original rivalry between the Windows and Macintosh operating systems, for those of us who remember them well. We all know who won, but in recent history, what with Apple's success with iPod, some of us argue that the Mac platform may enjoy a resurgence beyond its core loyalist following, as a result of Apple's new legitimacy.

Meanwhile, MSN has been doing its darnedest to catch up with competitors in the musical category, as well as Internet-centric areas such as search.

At any rate, Mac users will still be able to get Internet connectivity through MSN if they so desire, but the service will no longer provide extra software and services for Mac users. According to the article, this change will affect only a "small number" of customers.

No doubt. It's not hard to imagine that there probably weren't many Mac users who looked to MSN for their Internet connectivity in the first place. ISPs are plentiful these days and come not only from the old industry names but also from telecom companies such as Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and cable concerns such as Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA).

If anything could push the alarm button, of course, it's that the way things are shaking out, a move like this may seem like a move away from compatibility (although the article definitely included a quote from Microsoft stating that it "remains committed to the Mac platform and its customers"). But before you think Microsoft's just up to its old tricks, think about all the options available these days, and you know it's simply a whole new world.

Do you want to talk about Microsoft or Apple? Pull up a seat at our Microsoft and Apple discussion boards and talk over the issues with other Fools.

Alyce Lomax does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned.