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iPods vs CDS

TheBigBoyTheBigBoy Posts: 155
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Like most of you guys I love music, I love iPod's, but lately I am thinking about downloading my albums, there is more deluxe editions of albums coming out now not all supermarkets stock deluxe editions and I can't wait for the cds to arrive with amazon.

With iTunes you can download the album as soon as it's available.

How long will it be before computers don't use cd/dvd drives anymore?

The new iMac has no cd/dvd drive.

What do you guys think?

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    TheBigBoyTheBigBoy Posts: 155
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    If there was no cds at all how well would albums sell with just downloads?
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    AdzPowerAdzPower Posts: 4,861
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    I suppose if there were no CD's then people would have to digitally download, but I think that many people still buy CD's or they wouldnt still be sold, a lot of people like to have something physical if that makes sense, almost like a collectible.
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    pumazoomapumazooma Posts: 1,067
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    Digital sales revenue overtook CDs for the first time this year. It'll only continue.
    Broadband and high speed broadband are on the increase, people shop more and more online and CDs take up space in your house/flat. Whereas a back up hard drive is cheap and small.

    Give it 10 years and CDs will be under 10% of sales I reckon.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,405
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    I like to have CDs and LPs. I just like the way they feel in my hand and I like the way they look all stacked up together. I also enjoy poring over the sleeve artwork/lyrics etc.
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    ChrisJamesSatsChrisJamesSats Posts: 458
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    I always loved CD singles, and I find it a real shame that they've died out. I know, I need to stop living in the past. But I can see why it happened, the money I spend on music has gone down a hell of a lot over the last five years, now I just pay £9.99pm for Spotify. I only ever buy physical copies now if it's an artist I really like.

    Buying CDs to me felt like you owned a piece of the song. I'd be talking to my friends these days and we'd listen to a song from 90s/2000s and I could say "I bought that when it came out". Now we just say "this was on one of my Spotify playlists".
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 641
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    I hope CD's stick around. I have only bought one album from iTunes because I prefer having a CD but it#s a good job that's the case.

    My laptop broke, so my girlfriend bought a new one so it's 'our laptop'. She bought most of her music on iTunes. She was able to re download them so you think that's a "pro" since she hadn't lost her music.
    I then log on to mine, I can't download my music because you can't redownload 2 accounts on one computer within 90 days of each other or something ?!? Yes it's only one album but it's my album, and I also have a couple of TV series on there.

    So I will NEVER convert to iTunes until I can bu files that play on all devices and I have the freedom with the files that I would if I had bought and ripped a CD.
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    Finny SkeletaFinny Skeleta Posts: 2,638
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    AcidVenus wrote: »
    I hope CD's stick around. I have only bought one album from iTunes because I prefer having a CD but it#s a good job that's the case.

    My laptop broke, so my girlfriend bought a new one so it's 'our laptop'. She bought most of her music on iTunes. She was able to re download them so you think that's a "pro" since she hadn't lost her music.
    I then log on to mine, I can't download my music because you can't redownload 2 accounts on one computer within 90 days of each other or something ?!? Yes it's only one album but it's my album, and I also have a couple of TV series on there.

    So I will NEVER convert to iTunes until I can bu files that play on all devices and I have the freedom with the files that I would if I had bought and ripped a CD.

    I think that's a key point.

    I've got my collection of LPs, singles, 78s, CDs, tapes, DVDs and videos and they are all mine. I know I can play them wherever and whenever I want to and, barring damage (which is largely in my own hands) or theft (actually less of a threat now than ever before due to the increase in downloading), they will stay with me and be playable for the rest of my life.

    On something like iTunes you are just one contract dispute or just one company bankruptcy or one accidental breach of the T&Cs, or even just the whim of some bloke in a suit from having your license to play a particular track or album permanently revoked.

    I doubt Vertigo are going to kick my door down and take away all my old Black Sabbath LPs any time soon yet Apple will always have the ability and the right to do just that with a digital copy.
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    cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    I use both iTunes and CDs. The good thing with iTunes is that I can control my spending better than I can with CDs. Let me loose in a music shop and I go mad :p I've just been to a CD fair in college and I bought 5 CDs. Yep, seriously! :D:eek::o
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    chris1978chris1978 Posts: 1,931
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    I like to have a physical copy of my music and look at the little booklet while I'm listening. I do download stuff as well, but tend to download singles and buy cd albums.

    Also if CDs disappear Christmas gifts will be hopeless. Getting an I tunes voucher is not like getting a cd.
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    cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    chris1978 wrote: »
    Also if CDs disappear Christmas gifts will be hopeless. Getting an I tunes voucher is not like getting a cd.

    I personally don't mind getting an iTunes voucher as people don't know what sort of music I like. Rather than ending up with something I probably won't like I just tell people to get me an iTunes voucher instead so I can buy my own music. Plus I can use it on the iOS and Mac App Stores. Each to their own though.
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    DirtyhippyDirtyhippy Posts: 2,059
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    I use downloads occasionally but until we get uncompressed files like FLAC its a backward step, I bought the new Killers album from Amazon lately and it was something like 256k MP3, I expected better.

    Its still nice to get the physical product when it comes to giving presents and for back up.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 35
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    I prefer CDs, I have an ipod touch. I listen to cds while I am driving around my area (its part of my job)...I have only downloaded a few albums and songs...it doesnt feel the same. I like to have it my hands...I still buy cd singles when possible....like the bsides...
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    RikScotRikScot Posts: 2,095
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    [QUOTE=AcidVenus;62285637 I can't download my music because you can't redownload 2 accounts on one computer within 90 days of each other or something ?!? Yes it's only one album but it's my album, and I also have a couple of TV series on there.

    .[/QUOTE]

    That's cos you don't 'own' what you buy from iTunes. It's in the t and c's.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 641
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    RikScot wrote: »
    That's cos you don't 'own' what you buy from iTunes. It's in the t and c's.

    If you don't own it then why pay £9.99 per album when you can pay that or not much more than that per month for napster. You don't own the music on there but you have the same access to the music you download.
    Or at least you did the last time I looked at the Napster payment plans.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 28
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    Prefer to have CD's personally so I always have a backup and so I can rip into FLAC.

    Also it's nice to receive a physical item and something of value when I am spending money.
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    jargonjargon Posts: 558
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    I've been legally downloading single tracks since 2003 but staunchly remain a CD album buyer.
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    Glawster2002Glawster2002 Posts: 15,211
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    CDs, like vinyl, will never disappear because there will always be a demand for them.

    The vast majority of Rock music sales are still physical, the same is also likely to be true of the likes of Classical and Jazz, etc.

    Plus there is a value in a physical disc. a rare CD or vinyl can be worth thousands of pounds, I can't see an easily replicated digital track ever being worth that.
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