May 4, 2005 3:50 PM PDT
Shuffle grabs 58% of flash player market
Judging by the proliferation of iPod Shuffles you see bopping around these days, it's no surprise: Apple Computer's flash-based digital media player, out for less than six months, is gaining market share fast.
According to numbers from The NPD Group, the Shuffle has grabbed a 58 percent share of the flash-based digital media player market, up from 43 percent in February.
Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich called the 58 percent number a "stunning figure."
Overall, Apple had a 74.8 percent share of the total MP3 market in March, thanks to its hard-drive iPods, which claim an even larger share of their markets. Apple's total MP3 unit market share for February was 65.7 percent.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie. 
