Why vinyl?

By the way I forgot to mention. I have 10 gigs of digital music on my home laptop (listening to Joni Mitchell through headphones now), another couple gigs on my work laptop and we have a music server at work.
Mapman, I loved the big font comment. I first got glasses at 41 because I couldn't read the back of CDs - completely true.
We all use digital, it's convenient for casual listening or checking out music we may be interested in.

Its all a matter of tastes/hobbies. I would usually argue that once a person is introduced to an audiophile quality system they will see the light - it's simply not true (my brothers love my system and actually have brought friends over to hear - but they have Circuit City systems at home).
Most people don't care enough to spend what's necessary on a decent system, they just never will.
Audiophiles, our group, is the minority. Because of this, convenience will win. Let's just hope there is enough of us to keep the better formats alive. Our best hope is to introduce our hobby, our love, to friends and family and hope it takes.

Digital will from now on be in front simply because of convenience. This also means most R&D will be in digital. The upside - we can hope it means, regardless of preference, that digital gets better.

But, it already has. We have SACD and DVDA. Ok, I know, it's still digital but it's a step forward.
Wait, SACD/DVDA is all but dead.
Why? Convenience.
SACD and DVDA killed by Ipods and MP3s.

The death of SACD and DVDA has an upside -
VINYL re-issue/re-emergence.

I think audiophiles are born such (or at least the propensity). It's like perfect pitch, which can be learned (the jury still out on if alwas true), if storngly desired.

I loved what Les_creative_edge said about digital music collectors with "500Gigs of music". Yeh, 500Gigs of music of good music?
No, maybe a couple gigs of good music which will be listened to poorly.

Tomcy6,
I think we all know that most of what's said in here is said with tongue in cheek.
We all probably have digital in our systems but prefer vinyl, most audiophiles that really explore both - do.
High end digital player advertisements tout "sounds as good as vinyl". That pretty much explains it all.
I doubt anyone thinks a person is less because they listen to digital music. It's just a matter of taste and convenience.
My previous post said "keep the better formats alive". I didn't say keep the better analog formats alive.
I'm not into vinyl cause I like cleaning albums, or flipping them over or the nostalgia or even the cover art, I'm into Vinyl cause it sounds better.
Since I made the transition BACK to vinyl my listening session have become twice as long, the music is simply more enjoyable.

No, I don't enjoy the extra work but the sound, the music, that's what it's about.

Most of us are chasing something and for some vinyl gets them closer.

Xiekitchen,
I don't think "todays youth live in abject musical poverty". It goes back to what I said in my first post in this thread about introducing someone to real audio. Some can't hear it others don't care.
I'm going to use my family as an example.
I have one son, one daughter, three nephews, one niece, two brothers.
Out of that mix only one nephew is into audio (he's going vinyl as well - on his own not from anyting I said).
All the others do digital, the more convenient the better.
They have all heard my system and really enjoy it, but except for one nephew not a priority (thats 2/9 or 22.2%).
There is still good music being created. The problem is there is almost too much music (even with RAP re-categorized as non-musical vulgar poetry with PC percussion) being put out it's hard to weed through the garbage.
One last thing I should mention. The percentage of my family that prefers vinyl over digital is 100%. They just don't care enough to put in the time.

Kthomas,
I agree we do get caught up in the format thing, this is the Analog fourm after all.
I also agree that finding new music and talking about what's out and even discussing older music with younger listeners (especialy family) is so enjoyable.
So what if their interest is not audiophile - it's still music.
It's the same as before digital. Some go the extra and get into audio as a hobby - some don't. If not it doesn't mean they don't enjoy music.

I think the concern with us audiophiles is the possible loss of the better formats due to "hype" and convenience.

My family takes listening a little further. My brother and I were in a band years ago, now we play in the family band. At family functions we play, myself on drums and/or keyboard, my brother and two nephews with guitars (one nephew also plays drums).
Now that's fun.