Zune tops 11 percent player share in May
updated 03:45 pm EDT, Thu June 21, 2007
Zune 11 Percent in May
Microsoft's share of the music player market is continuing to climb, according to preliminary details of a new study published by market researchers NPD. The group notes that the lone 30GB Zune held 11.3 percent of the US market for hard disk-based players in May, a modest but significant increase from the 9.9 percent seen in January. Reasons were not given but the increase in sales is widely believed to be the result of both special edition pink, red, and Halo 3 Zunes as well as store discounts over the course of the spring, which dropped prices to as low as $199 at some large retailers.
Microsoft is still officially on track to sell 1 million players by the end of this month but has declined providing specific numbers, saying only that it has averaged 10 percent in recent months.
The percentage likely keeps Microsoft in second place both for hard drive players and potentially the US portable media player market as a whole, which is known to be led by Apple and is dominated primarily by smaller and usually less expensive flash-based devices. Full statistics for the market are expected to come soon but have yet to be published, NPD says.
Dream on
06/21, 04:22pm reply
I'd love to check the validity of that report (i.e. who was paid to write it).
jarod
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
Yeah right!
06/21, 04:26pm reply
Not a single thing surrounding the zune is straight shooting. In line for 1 million sales? Sure if you count those distributed to dealers, but mostly untouched by consumers. Basically there is no reason to buy one of these rebranded toshiba gigabeats. What the zune highlights is what a laughable outfit Microsoft is. After sending employees to astroturf sites with glowing reviews they still can't move more than 50,000 of these things into actual consumer's hands. Pathetic. Whoever buys one deserves it.
Between the screen cracking problem, the points scheme, inconsistent playback issues and soviet style design, I'm surprised they've sold a single unit. Watch their market share go south as Apple releases their touch enabled iPod with wide screen towards the end of summer/early fall. At that point, anyone who buys a zune will also qualify for a free mental health consultation.
Monde
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2004
Not 11% palyer markeshare
06/21, 04:32pm reply
Article title is misleading... The important statement is "Zune held 11.3 percent of the US market for hard disk-based players in May" (not the hard disk-based player qualification).
The hard disk-based market has always been well under 50% of the overall player market (even after the first few generations of the iPod grew the HD based market).
shawnce
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2000
channel stuffing...
06/21, 04:40pm reply
as usual.
rtbarry
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
fire sale
06/21, 04:48pm reply
retailers gotta clear that c*** out to make room for items that actually sell better than Zunes ... like floppy drives as an example.
Rezzz
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2006
and?
06/21, 04:54pm reply
come june 29th the zune will be the equivalent of a 200 dollar yo-yo.
Herod
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2007
Actually a decrease...
06/21, 04:57pm reply
Ballmer was claiming 20% market share. So this (if true) would be huge decrease, right?
chabig
Professional Poster
Joined: Jun 1999
Who creates these no.'s?
06/21, 05:14pm reply
Apple has stipulated 66 million units sold last quarter alone, with 1/3 being hard drive base players.
How the h*** does "on track for 1 million" in a quarter equal 11% of the HD based media player market - when Apple's 22 million HD units quarter equalled 92% of that same market ?
Who the heck comes up with these numbers? They sure didn't graduate from any college.
DahlBryn
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2004
Easy...
06/21, 05:36pm reply
>Who the heck comes up with these numbers? They sure didn't graduate from any college.
Paid Liars, of course.
Cover of next MediaWeek: TURDBRICK CRUSHES OVER IPOD's TINY NICHE.
Just look at the store shelves. Talk to high schoolers. This is another MicroSoft® Bomb©.
jcatma61
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2006
Honestly now...
06/21, 05:48pm reply
What kind of idiot seriously considers a Zune... I mean COME ON! Is there no minimum to how moronic one can be??
jarod
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005