Article: Why tapes had to be wound up; MIRROR MUSIC CRITIC GAVIN MARTIN MOURNS THE DEMISE OF THE HUMBLE MUSIC CASSETTE.(Features)

Byline: GAVIN MARTIN

PRESS the Eject button - the humble music cassette is set to join the 78 record, the 45 single and the laser disc in the big home entertainment car boot sale in the sky.

Online music, MP3 players, car CD players and now the iPod have left it hopelessly outmoded. Sales of the flimsy plastic containers with spools of magnetic tape have plummeted.

In 1998 Britons snapped up 50 million of them, but last year we bought only four million. Phillips, who invented the cassette format 40 years ago, ceased making them in 2000 and it's ...

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