Microsoft has announced that it has sold over a million units of its digital music player, Zune. Robbie Bach, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division revealed that Zune accounts for 10 percent of the hard-disk-based music player market share.
Speaking in an interview with San Francisco Chronicle, Bach said that his company was pleased with the start. "We're very pleased with the progress. We've sold a little over a million Zunes. In the category we're in, the hard-disk-based category, we've got about 10 percent market share. It's a good start. It's not an overwhelming start. I'm not going to pretend it's some gigantic move", he said.
Microsoft aimed to sell 1 million copies of Zune by the end of June, but accomplished the task just nine months into the market. Compared to Apple's iPod, Zune looks to have had a better start. iPod achieved the 1 million mark 14 months after it came into the market.
However analysts say that taking market conditions into consideration, iPod would have thrashed Zune. They believe that iPod could have easily sold 25 million copies before Zune had reached its million mark. Microsoft will have to get busy if it aims to topple iPod from the popularity table.
Apple has recently announced the sale of its 100 millionth iPod earlier this month and has already sold over 10.55 million iPods in the first quarter ending March 31. Apple has continued to boost iPod's popularity by bringing out over 4,000 accessories for the player, including stereo hook ups for 2007-model cars in the US. It has also signed a deal with Nike to connect iPod with some models of running shoes.
