The demise of the music CD inevitable?

More to my point, the current generation, most of my friends do not even own CDP's unlike myself who agrees CD sounds great.

Truth. I had a coworker straight out of college who had never bought a CD. It is a generational thing; he and his friends listen with earbuds and iphones. We became friends and he would send me audio files.

He was also OK with watching movies on his phone or tablet; didn't need a big screen TV. I can't understand this part.

the thing about physical media is the security of the software (no worries if a HD fails) and the process. sure flipping through media on an ipad is easy & convenient. but i'm single and i have cds stacked high and low. and if (!) a woman comes over and wants to listen to something, its a lot more fun to watch her stretch & stoop as she looks. ---an ipad cant get me that visual. 

Hi all,
Yes, lowrider57, you noticed exactly what I have observed myself, he never purchased a CD and... likely never will. I honestly think those who still purchase CD's or Vinyl will one day be the exception. I predict there may be a huge step change in hard media purchases to the point where company's are just going to get out of the business of CD's. As far as watching movies on his phone, I have VUDU myself on my phone and watch it on rare occasion, I prefer the movie theater. 

I suspect CD will be with us for a long time.  The format has been around for about 35 years and have, over that time, achieved such market penetration with "gazillions" of them in circulation world-wide that the silver devils and the machines that play them will be here for the foreseeable future.

Look at the renaissance that is happening with vinyl!  After all of the old "record" stores sold off their vinyl in the late eighties, early nineties, in favor of CD shelf space, I never foresaw the re-appearance of vinyl in stores but here we are.  Even Borders book stores carry some vinyl.  The last mall store I entered had a large vinyl display with records of most current major releases. It is a part of the cultural "retro movement" currently taking place in the West. The question that time will answer is whether it is a "fad" or a true re-emergence of vinyl.  The good news for the audiophile world is that vinyl will hopefully ignite a spark in younger listeners to care about sound quality and engage in the hobby we all so enjoy.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 5-10 years.