" Exactly how important is it to bone up on new technology such as the compact disc? How significantly will it influence our everyday lives, and for how long? There are a number of factors that determine the lifespan of a technology. Manufacturing cost, product performance, market penetration, user boredom, and innovative competition all move technology forward and heighten expectations. As far as the CD family goes, it is safe to say that the future looks bright indeed. Its market share continues to expand, and new and consequential applications are undoubtedly waiting to be discovered by insightful entrepreneurs. Of course, no technology, except the very primitive kind, lasts forever, and someday (perhaps relatively soon) the CD will be only a curiosity. Fittingly, the discs themselves should long outlast their usefulness."

Dr. Ken Pohlman, The Compact Disc Handbook 2nd Edition, Introduction