Three generations

In 1877 Edison demonstrated his phonograph. This was the beginning of reproducing music.

If one look at the history of recording music there are 3 generations.
The icon of the first generation is of course the gramophone. A wind-up motor and a needle coupled to a diaphragm and amplified by a horn. No electrical parts!

In the eighties the CD hit the market. The music is stored in a digital format. One might also argue that it is a turntable with the needle replaced by a laser. You need a platter and what’s on it you can find on a leaflet, just like good old vinyl. So high tech used in the traditional way.

The third generation is computer audio.
You download the music from the internet. You browse your collection on your computer and of course, play it on a computer. The whole process of buying, storage, selecting and playing is fully digital.

You need some sort of computer to listen to the music, MP3 player, Pc, Mac, streaming audio player are some examples.