If you have ever lost a disc, wanted to make a backup of expensive new software like Rosetta Stone or Adobe products, or needed to do some simple file conversions, you have needed a virtual disc drive. There are ways to handle this problem on your Mac, some involving downloading free or low cost software to do the job and some using existing tools, depending on your experience level.

If you have a Mac, you have probably checked out iWork as a cost effective alternative to Microsoft Office. Personally, I think iWork beats the pants off Office for ease of use, features and appearance. It has become my software of choice for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations.

Apple’s official discounts for Black Friday are milder than some analysts’ forecasts. However, shoppers who find it easier to get to an Apple store may be able to get a more impressive deal.

Google has confirmed that it did break rules governing the products that are eligible for sale in the iTunes App store. But it’s not yet clear if Apple missed this breach or knew and approved it anyway.

Even as consumers held off Mac portable purchases in September (anticipating new products), Apple still managed impressive unit volume gains as competitors wilted.

Safari and Mac OSX have had an exclusive plugin for quite a while now.  Inquisitorx is one of the best browser search plugins ever, and it is now available for both Mac and PC.

Britain’s advertising regulators have banned a TV commercial for the 3G edition of the iPhone. The Advertising Standards Authority said Apple had exaggerated the speed at which the device can send and receive data.

Apple has been hit with what appears to be an ambitious lawsuit claiming it stole the technology used for internet surfing on cellphone screens. It comes at the same time as yet another case alleging false advertising over the iPhone’s performance.

Recently, a top technologist at Apple let it slip that Snow Leopard could ship as early as the first quarter of next year, well ahead of the company’s earlier projections.

Looking for free Mac games to play on your Apple Macintosh? Here’s our list of what we think are the top 40 free games for the Mac you can download right now.