Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/26/83; site ihuxa.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!floyd!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxa!peg From: peg@ihuxa.UUCP Newsgroups: net.records Subject: Why 45s are 45s... Message-ID: <250@ihuxa.UUCP> Date: Tue, 12-Jul-83 13:48:27 EDT Article-I.D.: ihuxa.250 Posted: Tue Jul 12 13:48:27 1983 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Jul-83 19:57:51 EDT Organization: BTL Naperville, Il. Lines: 25 In answer to Larry's question, as to why 45s are 45s, basically it was due to competition. Back when the phonograph came out, Thomas Edison sold discs to go with his phonograph. I've forgotten most of the details, but due to copyright disputes RCA decided that they wanted to market phonographs too... to increase the competition between the two manufacturers, RCA created a record which had a wider spindle hole, and these records could subsequently only be played on RCA phonographs. It is similar to the differences between Atari and Intellivision cartridges. After awhile, other phonograph companies began to produce records, but wanted them to fit both kinds of phonographs... and due to the demands of the public, phonographs are now made to fit both kinds. I suppose the reasoning for not switching to one size hole (although many 45s are now the size of LPs and vice versa) is due to tradition and the supposed ease of telling whether a disc was to be played at 33 or 45... although that is no longer the case as previously mentioned. This short history lesson comes right out of my memory, so i would welcome corrections or additions, as i may have forgotten the details as they really are. In summary, 45s came about because RCA wanted to be different from the Edison company. As for 16 RPM, i think records for blind people (recorded books and such) are recorded for 16 or even 8 RPM... i'm not sure of the reason for this however...