iPod shuffle accounts for almost 60% of flash-based MP3 player market

Posted on Thursday, May 05 2005 @ 17:39 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck

Market research firm NPD reports that Apple's iPod shuffle accounts for 58.2 percent of the United States flash-based MP3 player market in March, up from 43 percent in February.

NPD also believes that it won't be easy for competitors to overtake Apple's share. It's not just a matter of offering extra features and competitive prices.

You don’t walk into an existing market and grab nearly 60% in two or three month (at least not usually), and a big part of how this happened is that Apple’s self-contained system (i.e. iTunes and the iTunes Music Store) which “encourages” users to stay within it (you can bet that a lot of iPod shuffle buyers already owned a regular iPod or iPod mini), combined with an incredibly uncommon amount of cultural cachet that is impossible to buy.

Source: Engadget

About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.

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