Card technology makes CDs go way of vinyl

Written by Wiley Combs

Tuesday, 13 January 2009 18:46

Samantha Getz/BI

The release of the music compact disc in the 1980s signaled the end of an era for vinyl records and players.

Now the release of smaller, more resilient forms of media with larger capacities has some wondering how much longer CDs will be the medium of choice.

San Disk, one of the primary purveyors of mini-storage, announced the release last fall of full-length musical albums on micro-SD cards. Following the trend toward miniaturization, these cards may soon be the SanDisk, one of the primary purveyors of mini-storage, announced the release last fall of full-length musical albums on micro-SD cards.

Following the trend toward miniaturization, these cards may soon be the technology of choice for cellular phones.

SanDisk’s Web site boasts that owners of the tiny technology can “download all the songs, pics, videos, games, and ring tones you want,” with available storage sizes ranging from two to 16 gigabytes.

A wide range of cellular telephones – manufactured by Nokia, LG and Motorola, to name a few – have the capability for micro-SD interface. The cards aren’t just for cell phones, either.

They can be used in compatible PC’s and standalone MP3 players, and the Associated Press reported Monday that Adrenaline Technologies is releasing a standalone Bluetooth headset which is capable of playing music from micro-SD cards without the need for a phone.

Recently, a www.CNET.com article reported SanDisk’s release of “SlotRadio, a $39.99 MP3 player with a preloaded micro-SD card containing 1,000 songs.”

In a related matter, Sony BMG has announced the advent of gift cards that can be used by consumers to procure digital rights management-free (yet “anonymously watermarked”) MP3s.

According to a Jan. 7 www.CNET.com article on the subject, the gift cards will be available for purchase by music listeners at Best Buy, Target and other retail stores starting Jan. 15. With these cards, users will be given a PIN code, which allows access to full-length albums at www.musicpass.com, according to the article.

There is something to be said for music labels joining the digital revolution, without painfully attempting to develop DRM restrictions.

These new forms of media give users access to MP3s that can be copied to your computer as easily as they can be played on your phone.

The micro-SD cards are the size of a fingernail, and have the ability to hold massive, pre-loaded MP3 collections with thousands of songs.

The technology has potential, but it remains to be seen if the public will bite; keep in mind that CD’s were almost universally panned at the outset, just as most technology critics are now panning these cards.

The gift cards, on the other hand, will likely be with us for a while.

The gift card has the benefit of allowing companies to set their own price for the product, regardless of actual production cost. It completely decouples the process from the need for cash or a material medium.

This may be all the more appealing to an industry that is having a difficult time finding customers to pay for their items when they can pirate them for free off the Internet.

The gift cards keep the customers on the Internet, but direct them to a more music label-friendly Web site.

This doesn’t mean that I’ll be buying either of these items soon, but they both represent a shift into the Internet age for the music industry, which has been a long time in coming.

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