I hate games that require the CD to play.
For halo, I have a mini image. It's 220KB. Mount it, and halo starts right up with no crack needed.
Same for Diablo2, Starcraft (only in multiplayer though)
Just about everything else I play doesn't require the CD or is just on steam.
Alcohol 120% or poweriso are the best programs for ripping a CD, but if you just want to mount, then Daemon Tools is the way to go.