Give me platform neutrality
or give me death!

The BBC iPlayer, a program that allows viewers to catch missed TV shows in a seven-day window and store them for 30 days, is receiving heat from a growing e-petition that demands it be made compatible with other operating systems.

The iPlayer is currently Windows-only.

Over 10,000 people have signed the e-petition from the Downing Street website, which demands the iPlayer service be Linux- and Mac OS X-compatible.

The Open Source Consortium filed complaints to the BBC Trust, the former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and broadcast regulator Ofcom, threatening to seek audience with the European Commission as well.

"The BBC has a mandate to provide equal access to people irrespective of platform," said President Mark Taylor of the Open Source Consortium.

"We don't think it is appropriate to lock people into a particular desktop technology."

Through iPlayer, popular BBC shows like Eastenders will be available for live streaming and downloading over the internet. It launches in beta on July 27 and will only work on Windows XP-ready PCs.

The BBC states that a Mac-ready version may be available this fall, alongside new versions for Vista and mobile devices.