I prefer CD's
They have the following abilities:
* Lossless copy, so I can always transcode it to any new improved format that comes out, without having to rebuy it on "mp5" or whatever comes next.
* I can format shift to my hearts content without anyone stopping me, or with loss of quality that comes from lossy->lossy transcoding.
* DRM Free: I can rip it and store it losslessly, with no problems, no major hoops to jump through, etc...
* Does not rely on the net. Some DRM requires activation etc... that requires the internet. I don't always have the internet on me.
* Works just about everywhere. Just about everything has a CD player, my car, portable ones, hifi decks, friends places.
* No hassle. Put the CD in, hit "play" and you're done. No need to install, activate stuff, confirm who you are, etc...
* OS agnostic. I am 100% Linux at home, and have been since 1999, A lot of DRM schemes don't work on Linux. I don't want to have a windows box kicking round just for listening to music.
* I get a physical backup, usually with cover art etc... that seems to hold well with age. I have some of my parents CD's, that are almost 30 years old, and still play perfectly (interesting to see how solidly the old disks were built, they actually feel heavier than modern CD's) .
As it stands, I intend to keep buying CD's until they refuse to stock them anymore. Don't know what I'd do then, hopefully someone will over a lossless online store.
Saying that, a lot of people I know buy CD's, just that nobody actually goes to the high street to do it. I buy almost all my CD's second hand. Either at the charity shop, a small local music store, or on Amazon, where the 1-click buy and low prices (£1.50) result in me buying CD's impulsively.
The only annoyance is that they take up space, and I have to move them when I move house as well, but I consider that a small price to pay for the benefits and freedom it brings.