Hello all,

IMHO there will always be people who like buying there music in a
physical format, and don't want to have to create it themselves.
Somehow, a purchased copy seems more 'real' and permanent than a burned
one.

IF we accept that the CD format is of good enough quality for most, (I
realize that there are audiophiles that still don't like the CD.) then I
personally feel that eventually we will end up with a solid state
format. Something about the size of a credit card that goes into a
reader and is a ROM of some sort. That would be big enough to print the
contents and a small photo on.

Currently you can by a 512 MB memory card (a CD holds as much as 640MB)
for a digital camera for around $40, depending on format. When this
drops to $1 or $2, then it becomes a viable product to sell music on.
The reason I believe that we will have a sold state format is that there
will be no lens to get dirty, no spindle motor to wear out, and no
vibration induced skipping issues to worry about. If the electrical
connections are well designed, then the cards should last for decades.
Players (and recorders) could be around the size of a cigarette pack.
You'll be able to plug them into a slot on your car stereo, or computer.

Another bonus of a credit card size memory module is that they will fit
in a regular envelope for mailing, and could easily be erasable, so they
will probably replace burned CD's on your computer as well.

Time frame? Depends how cheap the memory hardware gets. The basic
technology is in your digital camera now.

Regards,
Tim Schwartz
Bristol Electronics


MrPepper11 wrote:

Music insiders say that the CD will soon be eclipsed by a medley of
downloadable formats...

Washington Post
February 13, 2005

10 Million iPods, Previewing the CD's End
By Sean Daly
Washington Post Staff Writer

Classic-rock fan George Petersen doesn't need another copy of Pink
Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" or Cream's "Disraeli Gears." He has
spent the past four decades buying and re-buying his favorite music in
a succession of new formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassette, compact disc,
Super Audio CD, DVD-Audio.

Enough is enough. The basement is full.

"We as consumers have been trained by the music industry to go out and
buy a new piece of plastic every few years," said the 51-year-old
Petersen, editorial director of Mix, a San Francisco-based magazine
that covers professional sound recording. "Why do we keep buying the
same things?"

It's a good question. Now get ready for the day when you open your
wallet and buy "Abbey Road" all over again.


***MAJOR 'SNIP' please see original posting***