Zune fails to make it into US top ten

Although Microsoft's Zune captured a decent slice of the US' hard drive audio player market at large retail stores, it failed to crack into the top ten list of models in overall sales, according to market researcher Current Analysis.

The top ten models included eight different Apple iPods as well as two models from SanDisk, according to the firm, which tracks sales at Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, Staples and RadioShack.

The Zune, meanwhile captured 12 per cent of the US' hard drive-based player market for December, although Current Analysis' study does not include many retail sales outlets, including Wal-Mart Stores and Apple's own retail stores. An earlier study by the same firm partway through the Christmas period found roughly similar results.

"Microsoft did well for a newcomer, but it was competing in a segment that accounted for only one-fifth of all holiday sales," Current Analysis research director Samir Bhavnani said in an email interview.

Apple meanwhile, continues to plug along, he said. "It has retained its top spot without having to turn on a subscription-based download service as a new product offering."

Bhavnani said that he doesn't expect Microsoft to stand still, though. "Looking forward to 2007, I expect to see Microsoft offer a flash-based competitor to SanDisk and the iPod nano/Shuffle in addition to a less bulky (hard drive-based) player."

Microsoft has said it plans to expand the Zune effort, which it expects to be a multiyear haul.