Is the CD on its way out?

i usually buy portable hardisk or flash drives, at least i know the lifespan is a lot longer :)

I still use CDs to store digital pictures, music and other small files. I usually use it if i want to distribute some private pictures to my friends and family.

CD’s 650~700mb of storage is versatile.

1. Distrohopping. Majority of GNU/Linux distros still make use of these. Dvd ISOs arent too common given majority of users prefers their own custom apps to be installed, minimizing bloat by remastering a Linux distro using the bare minimum to support a desktop with GUI, browser, mail reader, basic media players, hardware detection and support for some wireless lan chipset. The rest of the software are obtained via package managers requiring broadband connection hence the less need for a DVD mastered ISO

2. Sneakernet. Although offset by the ease of USB drives, the cost to distribute is much less if you factor the chance of loss & damage while in transit(like theft and damage due to static)

3. Boot compatibility. Most OS are designed for booting off cd media with extra effort in porting them to USB media to make them bootable. Also mobo support is an issue. Also useful for recovering data from crashed systems, also being read-only keeps it in pristine condition VS malware that tend to affect USB Flash drives.

4. Installers below 700mb. Legacy apps and games although keeping them in ISO images on Dvds are also a decent alternative.

5. Promotional distribution. Lower cost especially for those software demos/games being distributed on magazines compared with usb media. Also lower costs and faster turn-out when burning CDs compared to DvD(unless you get a professional cd mastering systems).

For the more affluent like you, the CD may have outlived its usefulness.

But for the rest of us who cannot afford a high capacity external HDDs, iPods and other portable storage media, the CD-R and DVD-R has replaced the floppy for long-term and portable storage solutions.

We backup our files, movies and software on CD-R and DVD-Rs.

In our income bracket, the CD-R still has a long, long way to go. :D

I AM CD collector

I don’t use CD-R’s anymore. I use DVD’s to backup my files. Ondoy came last year and took most of my collection of discs. maybe it’s time for me to buy those portable hard drives.

CD’s are so common these days that some stores even sell them at only P5.00 or less! At such price, you can share files without having to part with your USB flash drives.

CD-Rs tend to have errors. Cyclic redundancy anyone? DVD-/+Rs are the rulers now. And don’t tell me you fancy Blu-ray. That would be an obvious lie. Unless you’re effin rich.

Last time I remember using my laptop’s cd/dvd drive was when I made my recovery discs, and that was on day 1 of my laptop, about half a year ago, and I was using dvds! I don’t think I have used a CD ever yet here. :))

some still use it for backups or school project proposals. i use dvd-r for my backups of important large files like softwares. but most likely, i still prefer a usb flash drive with write-protect notch on it.

Well, I mostly buy CD’s if I wanted to burn a Linux distro to try out on my machine.