re: Is the CD dead?

Now that vinyl comes with a download, it makes CD's a less attractive option. That said, there's something to having some form a physical media so you can control your library so Apple and Google don't sell it back to you. Vinyl does have a markup, so there is value to buying a CD and then uploading everything to your device, yet still controlling the original copy in case of emergency.

I don't like my only copies of things being digital versions on the cloud, outside of my control. At least keep backups on your own hard drive. Also, I spend a good portion of my life away from an internet connection on which I can stream music. Even if I did, I don't want to pay usage rates if I have a local copy. So, CD's do serve a useful purpose, just not a huge one.