Maybe it is, but to a music-appreciating tech geek, the comparisons fall a little flat.

Take a look:

(Hopefully that video is still there, though for some reasons advertisers don’t always like the exposure that free YouTube marketing gives them)

OK, so “first there was the road map. Now there is the GPS”.

Let’s skip for a moment the horrible phrase “the GPS” because that’s not the focus of this rant.

Now…

“First there was vinyl. Now there is the MP3″.

Unless L’Oreal is trying to tell consumers that INOA is of a lower quality than established products, this is a poor statement to make.

Most of us know that, MP3 files even encoded at their highest quality cannot match that of lossless audio files, or even lossy formats with better encoding like AAC.

Don’t even get me started on the notion that MP3 (or even CD) could be of better overall quality, in theory at least, than vinyl… and this is coming from someone who never owned vinyl but understands why it is technically superior, if not particularly convenient.

I guess the marketing peeps would’ve found it harder to justify going to the masses with the phrase “First there was MP3. Now there is 24-bit Free Lossless Audio Codec”.

Sigh. It’s not easy being pedantic, you know.

For those who aren’t scratching their vinyl (in a DJ kinda way, not in a careless way), but do have a record collection worth playing or converting to digital, the Linos USB record player could be the most portable solution.

Interestingly, the designer reckons you shouldn’t use the device if you don’t like music OR if you’re an audiophile. Either that’s an incorrect use of the word, or the sound quality isn’t actually good enough for those who absolutely revere the analogue platter format.

I don’t own any records but I can see this being a useful addition for those who don’t want the bulk of a hi-fi component but still want to dust off the old collection from time to time.

Not quite sure where you can get it from, or how much it costs.

Pyott Design (Via)