Apple Rolls Out Messages For Mac Beta: Update...But It Will Expire

Apple is planning to include its iOS texting service, iMessage, in the next major Mac OS X update, Mountain Lion.

But you can get it now on your OS X Lion Mac machine.

Cupertino has released a beta version of 'Messages for Mac', which means your Mac machine can send and receive messages with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch iMessage apps.

We say again, it's beta, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work perfectly.

You can download it from the Apple web site.

Update: It looks like this beta version of Messages for Mac will expire when Mountain Lion is release "in late summer". This text has been discovered in the app:

"Thank you for participating in the Messages Beta program. With the inclusion of Messages in OS X Mountain Lion, the Messages Beta program has ended.

To continue using Messages, please visit the Mac App Store and purchase OS X Mountain Lion."

So if you want to continue using Messages for Mac, you'll have to buy Mountain Lion, which, it's believed, will sell for about £25 in the Mac App Store.