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Based upon what I know, I have to say (based upon some comments in this thread):
LP's, 8-track, cups and a strings ;-), all went the way of the dodo simply because they were never great -- but they were the best, especially for a price consumers could afford, that technology had to ffer at the time. Plus, LP's were large and took up far, far more space; even though a CD itself takes up space, it's nowhere near in comparrison, especially since must people don't buy hundreds and thousands of CD's like say, us.
While CD's have their draw backs, namely scratching and storage capacity, they really were a jewel of technology. Sure you can get better sound from different kinds (SACD, so forth), but consumers have shown they either don't care or the price is too much (which can include sounds systems that get the most out of better sounding specialty CD's). And CD's still ahve a number of advantages, for example booklets that can be signed and resale value.
The problem isn't necessarily that CD's have died, the way I see it, but rather two factors: certain companies pushing them out for downloads, and a generation of throw away consumers, i.e., consumers that don't see value in what they have and don't care if it's lesser quality, gets damaged, lost, destroyed, stolen. But hey, Justin Beiber is throw away worthy. When certain companies, say Apple, say "jump", the market fucking jumps, and it's jumping like a mother shampooer over downloads and products that cater to downloads, like iPods. And generation throw away is more than happy to plunk down for an iThingy. Then the rest of the market moves in conjuction; online retailers offer more and more downloads, stores start divesting themselves of, or completely removing themselves of, CD's Five or so years ago, there was a large CD section in Wal-Mart. Go there today and it's nearly gone, if not totally gone (depending upon location). Just like online movie providers pushed Blockbuster video and other video rental outlets, to the way side.
The CD wasn't ready to die yet. It wasn't obselete yet. And even if they go bye-bye like LP's, there will still be a niche market, like say for score fans.
And as for CD rot, it is indeed real. We have thread(s) on CD bronzing, and you know most score fans here aren't necessarily putting their CD's in car visors like it was Britany Spears' Greatest Hits. Yes, we were told CD's would last a long time, but we really had no way to be sure (since, by the way, none of us will bu ya CD and then live one hundred years thereafter). Just because most CD's are okay, does not mean others are so. Not every company makes their CD's with the same quality standards or material; it's not like there is (at least, not yet, but now I've given them the idea...) a government agency task force to make sure there are governmental industry standards for CD making, regulations, and enforcement thereof. Just like CD-R's -- some are good and last a long while, while others are so cheap it feels like touching them can break them or damage the recording surface. Every few years I go through the CD-R's and if any are bronzing or don't play well, I rip them and burn anew.
Oh, and how to mark your CD-R's without degrading them? Well, I simply don't mark the CD-R's at all anymore. I mark the paper sleeve or jewel case.
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Just to be sure, we should send them every single Justin Bieber CD in the world. Hilarious !!!
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