Collecting old video game consoles and vintage computers is a fun hobby, but keeping all that hardware working can quickly become an expensive, never-ending task — not to mention all the space you need just to store the gear. You might instead (wisely) opt to play your favorite games and software using emulators for your Mac.

In this guide to Mac emulation, I’ll walk you through the best apps you can use to accomplish the two most common scenarios: playing old video games, and taking Classic Mac OS for a test drive on a modern Mac. Plus, I’ll wrap up with the easiest way to virtualize modern operating systems like Windows and Linux on your Mac. (This handy virtualization software also works for old and obscure computer operating systems.)

Best of all, each of these Mac emulation methods is free and open source.

PDF files are everywhere online. Working with them shouldn’t be a headache. But common pain points include difficulties editing documents, trouble handling large file sizes, compatibility problems across platforms, security worries over data leaks, ineffective search capabilities, and poor annotation and collaboration tools. Plus, many users also balk at Adobe Acrobat’s expensive subscription fees. These frustrations highlight the need for a robust solution — and UPDF 2.0 emerges as the perfect answer.

After launching in 2022, the UPDF brand quickly won over 3 million users worldwide. Thursday’s launch of UPDF 2.0 takes PDF editing to the next level with enhanced AI capabilities, streamlined workflows and powerful new features. They make document management effortless across all your Apple devices.

Apple’s App Store ecosystem reached a milestone in 2024, facilitating $406 billion in developer billings and sales in the United States alone, according to a new study Apple commissioned. And over the past 5 years, App Store sales growth means U.S. developers’ earnings more than doubled, the iPhone giant said.

“For more than 15 years, the App Store has created incredible opportunity for app developers, entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a press release Thursday. “That includes the many U.S. developers who are innovating, building their businesses and finding exceptional success on the App Store.

“We’ll continue to invest in powerful tools, technology, and resources to help developers in the U.S. and around the world take their apps to new heights and create transformative experiences for users,” he added.

May 29, 1992: Apple demonstrates its Newton MessagePad for the first time, showing how the upcoming PDA can be used to order a pizza and pull off other time-saving tricks.

Hailed by Apple CEO John Sculley as “nothing less than a revolution,” the Newton is Apple’s first major new product since the original Macintosh shipped eight years earlier. During the first Newton demo at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, Apple shows how people can customize a pizza by moving topping icons on a symbolic pie. Then they can fax the order straight from the device.

Apple makes the bestselling phone, smartwatch and wireless headphones, and is fantastically profitable as a result. But if it can’t develop the Next Big Thing, it could easily be out of business in 10 years. But there’s no cause for concern — Apple is already working on the product that’ll replace the iPhone: smart glasses.

Even better, Apple is taking two approaches for developing smart glasses, which should go a long way toward ensuring that it makes the definitive version of the must-have computer of the 2030s.

Who’s still paying full price for an iPhone? Not us. Especially when you can score a fully unlocked iPhone 12 refurbished model for just $229.99 — a fraction of the $799 you’d spend for an iPhone 16.

Wondering how we’re able to practically give away these iPhones? They’re refurbished devices. But that doesn’t mean they’re janky hand-me-downs like you’d get when your mom upgrades her old cellphone. Like Apple’s refurbished line, these are restored to near-mint condition for the best experience … and massive savings.

The iPhone 17 Air should become Apple’s lightest and thinnest iPhone yet later this year. In contrast, the company will seemingly take the opposite direction with its Pro Max model, making it thicker and heavier.

A hands-on video of an iPhone 17 Pro Max dummy unit reveals what could be its final, noticeably thicker design.

Apple might make a major change to the naming convention for all its operating systems this year, switching all OS version numbers to years, according to a new report. The switch, which Apple reportedly will roll out at WWDC25 on June 9, would bring consistency across all its operating systems for the first time.

The iPhone 16 is the bestselling smartphone in the world, according to a market research firm. In fact, the global list of the top five bestselling handsets in the first quarter of 2025 includes four iPhones and one Samsung model in the bottom slot.

According to the analysts, the iPhone 16 base model outsold either of the Pro variants in Q1.

Satechi expanded its FindAll lineup Wednesday, adding four new trackable accessories that seamlessly integrate with Apple’s Find My network. The new items — an eyeglasses case, a wallet tracker, a luggage tag and a keychain — join Satechi’s passport holder.

May 28, 2010: Customers across Europe and Asia queue up to buy the iPad when the international launch date for Apple’s original tablet finally arrives.

The reason for the gap between the iPad’s U.S. launch in early April and its international debut more than a month later? Unexpectedly large demand for the groundbreaking device.

Apple silicon computers have serious staying power. Setups left and right feature M1 machines, released in late 2020, including today’s featured setup. The user said their M4 Mac mini pretty much took over for their M1 MacBook Pro in the workstation. So they reserve their “semi-retired” laptop for outdoor use, though it’s still running strong after more than five years of constant use.

The interest rate earned by cash stored in Apple Card Savings accounts dropped on Wednesday, continuing a series of such reductions begun in 2024 when the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate. Money in these accounts now earns 3.65% in annual interest.

Over the past two years, Apple and Goldman Sachs boosted and lowered in the rate multiple times. And the current rate is still well above what’s earned by typical savings accounts.

Powerful new Logic Pro updates for Mac and iPad will transform how musicians create beats and produce electronic music, Apple said Wednesday. The updates bring enhanced audio processing capabilities, innovative recording recovery features and fresh sound libraries.

Loud and proud in the update mix are the improved AI-driven Stem Splitter, which can make multiple audio tracks from one recording, and the new Flashback Capture, for those times you make great sounds but forget to hit “record.”

Apple just added iPad to its Self Service Repair program. All the tablets it introduced in 2024 and earlier this year are included.

The DIY program provides customers access to parts and tools they need to fix their own devices, and already includes many models of iPhone and Mac.

This refurbished iPad Air is a good fit for work, school or just relaxing with your favorite show. It’s also on sale for only $169.99.

If you want a lightweight device for streaming, reading, video calls and work, an iPad is hard to beat. And while the newest models tend to come with a steep price tag, older generations offer an affordable alternative.

Anyone who’s used a Mac for years understands the value of Spotlight search, as it can quickly help you search through your Mac, email, apps, and system settings. But if you want to take things to the next level, check out Raycast — a powerful Spotlight alternative that goes beyond simple search.

From setting reminders and tracking flights to running Terminal commands and finding files, Raycast is built for speed and efficiency. It really is a Swiss Army knife for your Mac. Here’s how I use it to supercharge my productivity on the Mac.

Apple could make moving eSIMs from iPhone to Android easier with iOS 19. Evidence found in the latest Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 suggests that Apple and Google are working closely to achieve this.

Currently, it’s not possible to directly move an eSIM from an iPhone to Android.

A new cross-platform application developed by Apple will call attention to games on iPhone, Mac and even Apple TV, according to an unconfirmed report from Tuesday.

It’ll replace the current Game Center, track users’ in-game achievements, give players a way to communicate with other gamers, and more.

A new Qualcomm study suggests the company’s modems outperform Apple’s first in-house modem chip, the C1 — particularly in challenging urban network conditions.

The research from Cellular Insights, funded by Qualcomm, tested the iPhone 16e — Apple’s first device to feature the company’s homegrown C1 modem — against Android smartphones powered by Qualcomm chips on T-Mobile’s 5G network in New York City.

Your iPhone and home internet service could come beamed from satellites in orbit in a service provided by Apple — but no. The company reportedly spent millions investigating the idea before dropping it.

Instead, recent iPhones have limited access to satellite connectivity, and even that brought Apple into conflict with Elon Musk and Starlink.

The Zagg 6-port Media Hub includes a flip-up iPad stand, an HDMI port, a USB-A port and more, with the standout feature being an easily accessible set of media controls. And all this fits into the same space on your desktop as a more conventional tablet stand.

I used the iPad hub/stand in my home for weeks, and it does its job well. That said, a design quirk might limit its appeal.

May 27, 1986: An exiled Steve Jobs takes a shot at Apple after the company ditches Chiat/Day, the ad agency that created the iconic “1984” Macintosh ad. In a full-page ad published in The Wall Street Journal, Jobs says the move to competing ad agency BBDO shows that “caretakers” rather than “builders” now run Apple.

From his perspective, it confirms that the company he co-founded has lost its revolutionary spirit.

After years of waiting, WhatsApp finally landed on the iPad on Tuesday. You can now use Meta’s popular messaging service on your iPad alongside other devices.

Like on the Mac, WhatsApp’s iPad app won’t let you register with a new number. It functions solely as a companion device linked to a primary phone.

Apple revealed its App Store prevented more than $2 billion in fraudulent transactions in 2024 alone, contributing to over $9 billion in blocked fraudulent activity across the past five years. But as the App Store blocks fraud, the figures highlight the tech giant’s ongoing battle against increasingly sophisticated bad actors attempting to exploit users and developers on its platform.

The massive fraud prevention effort protects the App Store’s 813 million weekly visitors across 175 regions worldwide. Since its 2008 launch, Apple’s marketplace has grown into one of the world’s most trusted digital storefronts, Apple said. But maintaining that reputation requires constant vigilance against evolving threats ranging from data theft apps to payment scams.