Data storage specialist Verbatim is hooking onto a retro market by making a recordable CD (CD-R) which looks like an old-style vinyl 45rpm record.

The company said that the discs are designed for those who want to remember the good old days of vinyl when they burn music onto CDs.

Unlike the original 45s, the new CD-Rs have a dual layer anti-scratch coating and will not work on a record player.

DataWatch analyst Peter Williamson explained that such ideas are becoming important in an increasingly cut-throat market.

"I am surprised that this idea was not done years ago when people were worried about replacing their records with CDs," he said.

"However, it is now a gimmick which means that Verbatim will have a product which is different from the huge numbers of blank data disks out there."