Mp3: The survival of the fittest in technology
By Tyler Devereaux
Staff Writer
While the compact disc was extremely popular on arrival, it has still provided many struggles for people over the years.
The antagonizing shrink-wrap. The mysterious scratches that appear from nowhere. Oh, and don't forget the times when you've sat down in the car, only to hear the cracking of a misplaced disc from underneath your shoe.
It wasn't long ago that these misfortunes were all acceptable, because CDs were the most advanced piece of musical technology for people to get their hands on. Hey, it was better than cassettes, right?
But now, anybody looking for music's hottest commodity can get an Mp3 player, the latest in the evolution of music formats. Mp3 stands for "MPEG Audio Layer III." It shrinks the size of the data from a CD by about 10 times and does this with little or no loss of sound quality. Some people can fit their entire CD collection onto one device the size of a deck of cards.
At the rate that they're increasing in popularity, it might not be long before CD carrying cases become just a memento of the past. "I just ordered an iPod online," JCC student John Gleaton said.
An iPod, the most popular Mp3 player, is made by Apple.
"It's not just a convenience thing... It's also much cooler to be seen with an iPod as opposed to a bulky CD player. I can't wait 'til it gets here."
The Mp3 player has made quite the impression on some people. Its convenience is undeniable given that someone could listen to any song directly out of his or her jeans pocket. The transfer of music from the computer to the device is quick and harmless, and once playlists are organized, it's like having a computerized media player in the palm of your hand.
However, there are a few things that people miss when carrying around an Mp3, because there are a lot of enjoyable aspects of CDs.
For starters, there's no case with songs download from the Internet. The case itself is a keepsake to some, having the cover art, song listings and lyrics printed on the inside. Having all of the cases lined up like books on a shelf can create the appearance of a vast musical inventory.
And there's something to be said about the joy that you gets when your favorite band comes out with a new CD, and you race down to the store to buy it. The excitement from that trumps the mundane event of seeing that same band's song leaked onto the Internet before it's supposed to be released.
Although the end for CDs may not be exactly in sight, it may breach the horizon by the end of the decade. The Mp3 player is to CDs what DVDs were to VHS, what cassettes were to 8-tracks, and what Nintendo was to Atari. It's just technology taking its evolutionary course.