Editors Note: I wrote this exactly thirteen years ago! This was a time when the MP3/Napster debate was the main focus of my life, and this kicked off many other projects, essays, surveys and so on. You can probably tell there is a bit of a bias here, but whatever. Some grammatical and spelling errors corrected.
Some people are looking into using MP3’s as an alternative to audio books as the article “E-audio is on the Horizon” in the Library Journal. On the other hand, most people use MP3’s as a form of free music according to the article “Bye-bye record store, hello Web music?” in a recent PC World. MP3’s are one of the most debated topics in the information technology world and both of these articles look at what the benefits of MP3’s are but it is very clear that there are two different views in each article. The magazine looks at what is more popular right now and a more computer based audience, while the journal is looking at using what is popular to benefit the public and looks at a more educated audience.
The Library Journal article focuses on libraries across the United States that might look at replacing their audio books from cassette to a digital from. The article points out that the favored format of digital audio books would be MP3 because of their size and their popularity with music. The article also points out that most libraries are going to stay with the cassettes partially because the proper funding is not available to provide players for the digital audio format, added not many libraries have the proper support to get digital audio at this point in time. The article covers some of the popular MP3 players available and goes on to mention that if patrons brought their own players it would be worth looking into. Unfortunately publishing companies will suffer some of the fate that the record companies are going through with music MP3’s on the Web.
The PC World article covers what many people use MP3’s for free or inexpensive music available on the World Wide Web. The article compares different ways to accesses songs on the Web and in turn gives the authors pick of the litter. The author then covers some of the Napster issue, which has become the most popular way to acquire MP3’s over the web, although it is the major target of the record industry for allowing free music to millions of user across the world. The author uses his own experience to tell the audience just how easy it is to get MP3’s off the Web, and even how easier it is to access his own MP3’s any where in the world with a Internet connection.
Looking at the differences and similarities in these two articles shows that both cover the idea of digital audio known as MP3’s and how they can be beneficial to people anywhere. The major difference in these articles is the audience. The journal looks at benefiting the people who listen to audio books that are on cassettes or compact disc by switching over to MP3’s. Whereas the magazine focuses on benefiting the people who use cassettes or compact disc for music by getting the same music off of the Internet.
Works Cited
McCracken, Harry. “Bye-bye Record Store, Hello Web Music?” PC World Jun 2000: 43-44.
Proquest. B.J. Harrison Lib., Marshalltown (IA) Community Coll. 22 Jan. 2000
Oder, Norman. “E-audio is on the horizon.” Library Journal Nov 15, 2000: 42.
Proquest. B.J. Harrison Lib., Marshalltown (IA) Community Coll. 22 Jan. 2000