How long until we start using compact discs (CDs) as coasters and frisbees? Their glamour has faded to the extent that some leave them lying about, unsleeved, gathering dust.
When the CD hit the market in 1982, courtesy of a collaborative effort between Sony and Philips, it generated considerable excitement. True, it could get scratched, but its convenient size, crisp digital sound and absence of crackling made it far more seductive than traditional vinyl.
The product proved irresistible, wiping out the record market in many countries within a few years, despite the first CD title being Billy Joel's 52nd Street . Now there are games, software applications, encyclopedias, presentations and other multimedia programs available on CD.
Originally designed to carry 74 minutes of digital audio, the CD can hold up to 650 megabytes of computer data, 100 quality photographs, or even 74 minutes of full-motion video and audio.
In fact, many CDs offer all three.
However, the product's dominance is threatened by the emergence of numerous competitors, particularly the MiniDisc (MD).