Something New.

Tonywinsc - I agree but how they going to solve problem of copy protection? Downloaded 24bit/192kHz recording it can be copied for the friends or for sale. Attempts to establish copy protected standard (SACD, DVD-Audio, HDCD) failed.

I think you will either "lease" an album online, like on demand movies, or buy it and either have lifetime download privliges to listen to it, or else be able to download it onto a harddrive. Eventually, a digital tracer could be imbedded into copies to leave a trail back to the original purchaser.

I have read articles about how the album is becoming an endangered species because of music download websites. People buy only the songs they want instead of buying 12-14 songs at a time on an album just to get the couple of tunes that they really want. But we older folks will always likely maintain a market for traditional albums because that is the paradigm we are comfortable with.

Very likely the more astute owner of such media will be pretty careful with it... but what about their children?

I guess I could experiment with my thumbdrives and see just what will mess them up, but I'd specualte the usual fare of heat, large EMFs, water, and a size 11 shoe will hamper their style a goodly amount.

Greater and greater bandwisth seems the current and future way of things. So access and more immediacy should follow. the quality of the recreation is however, going to be the duty of the user... just like now. the vast majority will be quite happy with mass fi gear for that end.

Of course too, the makers will figure out a way as they have in the past, so that when one format, path, or device is prevealant throughout the market, to chage the format again... and we'll keep re-buying our White albums, Sinatra, etc. again, and again, and again.

BTW... locks? they were supposed to just keep honest people, honest. they don't stop crooks.