When we heard that AOL (this blog's parent company) was coming out with a new version of Desktop for Mac, we were pretty excited to see what they'd been up to since the last release five years ago. Now that we've had a chance to play with it, we like it but think it's still got a ways to go before there's a compelling reason to leave behind whatever browser / IM / email combo you're using now.

Though this new version of Desktop for Mac is still in beta, it seems stable. We tested Desktop on a new generation iMac and a MacBook Pro and it ran just fine on both. System requirements include a PowerPC G4 or greater, OS X 10.4 or higher, and at least 256 MB RAM. Surprisingly, Desktop only needs 60 MB of hard drive space (Firefox alone needs 52 MB).

You can use Desktop as a browser only but it's really meant to be used as a package along with the integrated IM and email tools. To use those, however, you'll need to register at AOL (or use your existing member name, not IM screen name). The login process is a little offputting, though, since you're required to furnish your address and phone number along with your name and birthdate.

Once you're done getting probed by the signup page, you can get started on customizing the Desktop in a variety of ways. You can add other email accounts like Gmail and .mac (although it's not readily apparent exactly how). The toolbar can be customized too, including the size of the icons, text, and even the bar itself. The browser is pretty basic but it does sport the popular tab function. Missing, however, are most keyboard shortcuts like Command + b (open bookmarks) and Command + k (move cursor to search bar). Command + l (move cursor to address bar) works, though.

Speaking of search, developers need to take a look at the search field integrated into the browser toolbar. It's teeny-tiny and can't be resized no matter how big you make the browser window.

In fact, when it comes to re-sizing, the whole software bundle seems to be buggy. The ability to shrink the mail window is seriously limited and you won't fare much better with the browser windows either. Keeping the mail, IM, and browser windows open at the same time, results in some pretty serious crowding.

Those are just minor quibbles, though. Overall, Desktop for Mac is a step in the right direction for AOL (and certainly a step up from this). We like its Mac-ified grey-and-rounded-corner look, and think they've done a good job making it as customizable as the Mac crowd has come to expect from their apps. If you're not already an AOL user, there's probably not a compelling reason to change what's already working for you, but if you're looking for pre-packaged, Mac-centric functionality, keep an eye out for when Desktop for Mac comes out of beta.