A CD Myth Examined

If we accept an earlier item in The Times, Stephen Williams perpetuates what may be a common misbelief when he says that the CD allows “infinite wear because nothing touches the disc but a laser beam” (“Tape Cassettes Are Going the Way of the Eight-Track,” May 26). This ignores the aging of the CD material.

According to a Feb. 29, 1996, Science File item, while disc manufacturers claim an expected life of 20 years, deterioration from oxidation of the aluminum substrate begins within three to five years.

AL CLARKE

Thousand Oaks