this article should have been written some time ago. especially with the advent of mass storage mp3 players, even cds are on their way out - although it may be some time before they're as outdated as casettes. until we figure out how to make online digital media more accessible for those who don't pirate but still seek comercial media, cds and dvds will continue to be viable. the downside with these physical media, however, is the tremendous amount of space they can take up. i used to have a very difficult time letting go of physical media, but as physical space becomes more and more of a premium, i've become less reluctant to ditch all my cds, dvd, video and audio casettes in favor of hard drive space, which is significantly cheaper volume-wise than cubic feet in an apartment.
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this article should have been written some time ago. especially with the advent of mass storage mp3 players, even cds are on their way out - although it may be some time before they're as outdated as casettes. until we figure out how to make online digital media more accessible for those who don't pirate but still seek comercial media, cds and dvds will continue to be viable. the downside with these physical media, however, is the tremendous amount of space they can take up. i used to have a very difficult time letting go of physical media, but as physical space becomes more and more of a premium, i've become less reluctant to ditch all my cds, dvd, video and audio casettes in favor of hard drive space, which is significantly cheaper volume-wise than cubic feet in an apartment.