.Mac has always been a little expensive when compared to other alternatives. The upside has always been a @mac.com e-mail address and seamless integration with OS X.

One of the best features of .Mac is iDisk, which acts as a remote hard drive for storing and sharing files.

But if you’re willing to get your hands dirty you can replicate many of iDisk’s features with free alternatives.

Any WebDav server will work–but many hosting companies don’t offer this.

There are ways to create your own WebDav server, but many of us still don’t have this option.

Luckily there are free services to fill the void, namely Box.net:

Box.net is a web-based service that lets you store files online, share with other people, and collaborate on projects.

Box.net is perfect because it’s free for smaller files which is ideal for many users and it offers a WebDav server.

Once your signed up you need to connect to your drive. To do this, open Finder and go to Go -> Connect to Server…:

Enter the address http://box.net/dav and click Connect. Enter your e-mail and password to connect to your WebDav server.

Now you can easily store and share files as if Box.net were just another hard drive.

You can also remotely access these files directly from Box.net:

Box.net makes it extremely simple to share folders with other users, so quickly sharing large files just became a lot easier. Not to mention you can also do things like Publish iCal Calendars.

iDisk is a great solution for anyone willing to spend a couple of bucks. But if you’re on a tight budget and want to share files quickly and easily, Box.net is a great solution.

Does anybody else know any free file hosts that support WebDav?