Over at Gizmodo, they've noticed (with some sarcasm) that the compact disc is now 30 years old. If that seems a bit premature, it's because it's really only the technology that's turning 30. The first actual compact disc didn't ship until Oct. 1, 1982. That disc, as they note, was Billy Joel's "52nd Street."
It was only after then that the audiophiles of the '80s started dumping their albums at used record stores and stocking up on those hip new CDs. If you've ever listened to an early CD and compared it to vinyl, you have to wonder what exactly it is they heard that was so great (OK, so there were no scratches -- but besides that!). As Gizmodo notes, a lotta CDs these days are serving as coasters. And we'll add that more than one former CD owner has been known to frequent eBay and pay to reclaim their old, cherished vinyl.
