Perhaps it was inevitable, but I, for one, welcome any return of the cassette with the same dread I hold for other devices which I never, ever want to see again. The typewriter and the VHS videotape are the two I decry the most, followed by old-style, double-edge razor blades. But there are some exceptions to this, not least being the LP. What determines the worth of an obsolete technology beyond mere nostalgia, which I suspect is the sole reason for reviving the cassette? If, like 35mm film, it has qualitative values that compensate for cost or inconvenience, I would welcome its return. But the revived item must have real worth: eg, no arguments whatsoever can redeem the VHS tape - which makes cassettes look like ball-peen hammers for dependability.
展开▼