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The software will be included with BD drives that are expected to ship within the next three months, and provides the ability to store up to 50GB of data on recordable (BD-R) and rewritable (BD-RE) discs. It will only be available to drive manufactures and not for download.

Since the Mac OS does not recognise Blu-ray, Roxio's Toast Dynamic Writing will both mount the discs and provide optional drag-and-drop burning in the Finder.

'We are extremely pleased to continue our pioneering work

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and provide Mac users with new ways to exploit the full power and potential of the platform,' said Stan Wong, general manager, Roxio division of Sonic Solutions. 'The inclusion of Blu-ray Disc capabilities adds to an already unrivaled lineup of digital media features that have made Toast a retail leader and the standard for CD and DVD burning on the Mac. Toast 7 with Blu-ray Disc support represents a compelling solution for manufacturers of next-generation BD drives who want to provide their Mac customers with a product that has become synonymous with quality and innovation.'

Apple joined the Blu-ray Disc Association in March 2005, but has since remained quiet in the debate between its supporters and backers of the rival HD DVD format.

It is possible that Blu-ray may make its Mac debut in the first Intel-powered pro desktops, the successors to the Power Mac G5 range, which many expect to be announced at the company's developers' conference next month. Intriguingly, Intel has been a vociferous backer of HD DVD.