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.