Microsoft Corp.'s Zune player was not among the top-10 list of digital audio devices sold over the winter holidays in the U.S., with Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod remaining champion of that market, according to research analyst firm Current Analysis Inc.

Eight of the top 10 digital audio devices sold between Nov. 27 and Dec. 30 of last year were from Apple, with the other two devices in the top 10 from Sandisk Corp., according to a Current Analysis report on retail sales of digital audio devices.

Zune, as many predicted, was a nonstarter, not even making the top-10 cut as a top seller over the holidays, according to the firm's research.

Apple accounted for 64 percent of digital audio devices sold during that time period, Sandisk accounted for 22 percent and Microsoft accounted for 3 percent.

Current Analysis' research included sales of digital audio players from retail outlets Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Staples and RadioShack, but does not include Wal-Mart or Apple stores. The company added that findings also are not projected to be the total retail market for digital audio devices.

Wal-Mart has more than 3,500 stores in the U.S., as well as an additional 1,290 stores in nine other countries. Apple has more than 170 stores worldwide, mainly in the U.S. Wal-Mart sells iPod, Zune and other digital music devices, while Apple stores only sell iPods.

Though Microsoft hopes Zune will eventually take share from iPod in the digital audio and video device space, the company has said it expects its investment in Zune will be over the long term, and did not think it would be an immediate bestseller. Apple has a five-year head start in that space with the iPod, which was launched in 2001.

IDG News Service

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