Ugh, I LOATHE this idea. Yeah, it's nice to have your entire collection at your fingertips, but I really enjoy the process of seeking out a certain CD and having the booklet, liner notes and lyrics right there as one whole package. Unfortunately, I see the music biz moving in the digital delivery direction.

I couldn't bring myself to toss them (actually I never even considered it); I donated mine to the local Public Library (all 1300 of them). I digitized my collection for both convenience and to free up physical space. I also maintain two levels of backup, plus keep a copy on a portable hard drive at a different physical location. I shouldn't ever lose anything as long as I maintain the backups.

However, I do sometimes miss the booklets�

I'm with Dave... I've digitized all my CDs (all 215GB+ of them), and I've got crazy back-up schemes. However, I don't have as cool a system as Dave seems to have.

Still, I haven't gotten to the point where I'm giving away (or throwing away! shudder!) my physical disks. I have bought a few CDs directly off of iTunes, though, and that was a big step for me.

Donating them to a library! What a good idea! That makes my soul happier than the thought of sending them to a landfill.

Some cds belong in a landfill.

I have a cd burner. A fireplace.
-Steven Wright

I still have my vinyl collection and even if I occasionally think of selling them, I would never just turf them. The same goes for my CD collection. I actually don't have an ipod or mp3 player, but would probably consider getting one on order to digitalise my CD library.

However, I love hearing my CDs played on a decent stereo system and consider the alternative digital sound inferior. I've been spoilt by a good stereo system and would always hear the inferior quality when listening to mp3s and their like.

While good sound can be achieved with a high quality sound card (with digital outs) running to the digital ins on a newer receiver, to me there's nothing like slapping CD in a good CD player hooked up to a good sounding system. I know it's here to stay, that it's inevitable and very convenient, but I just don't like this whole convergence thing that's going on. It's just one more way that Microsoft can horn it's way into my system and cause as much frustration as their crappy applications do! (End of rant)

Well I'm Apple all the way (except at work), but it's still the same deal as far as horning in. I mean except for amplification my Macs and iTunes run almost everything, and what they don't control � Direct TV does.

I'm not sure I like were its all headed either, I'm just trying to ride the wave and do what makes sense for me and still have the best sound the technology will allow.

I have to admit though that I do get a kick out of putting the entire iTunes library on shuffle and listening to what comes out.

Strange bedfellow's indeed.

i think just about any music oriented audiophile (regardless of advancements in actual sound technology) will prefer to have the artistic package (physical disc, liner notes, pics etc...) of course for convenience and overall environmental impact (not to mention market trend and general consumer demand) there is already a heavy skewing towards a digital distribution format...that said I still have a wall full of discs and copious amounts mp3's (notably those rare jazz, early indie and live bootlegs) that I have to continuously update backup and recovery routines on...
all that blathering said - the thought of someone simply tossing discs makes me ill (yes Hal, even those that might not warrant the highest regard)...the public library is an excellent suggestion, and the handful of indie record/CD stores are fighting to get by with the traffic and income generated by used sales ... and of course there is always eBay...share the love, share the joy and please don't toss the stash!

I will be coming through towns all over the country with a big "trash can" collecting all of the CDs that everyone is throwing away...I will be sure and "discard" them properly for you :)

According to the folks at the local Library, my disks were actually sent down to help replenish Library's destroyed/damaged by Hurricane Katrina. That news brought a smile to me face � especially since blues, jazz, cajun/zydeco and folk are well represented in the collection.

Dave, that is really noble of you. What a great idea!