Yes, but with the physical CD you get a couple of different mixes and possibly a "B-side".

You don't get that for the $.99 on iTunes.

Also, iTunes bitrate is not comparible to buying and ripping your own.

On the + side, downloads (legal ones) undermines record labels authorty on the public. It used to be the label who decided what track was the single. They still do as it is the one they ship to radio stations. But they don't when it comes to the public/consumers. It is now us who decide which or all tracks we want to buy of an artists album.

We can even create our own "best of compilations".

When it goes global on being able to buy digital format straight in a shop (bring your mp3 player, plug it in to a console, add songs to a cart, pay, load them on the mp3 player... Hmmmm this is an idea in the making here). We can start waving bye-bye to CDs as we know it. Just as vinyl will be available to the audiophiles CDs will only be an exclusive thing for us who actually like having a big CD collection and not just a fat ipod stuffed with music.

/E

/E