Report: 3.5 Million MP3 Players Will Be Shipped in 2003

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 9, 2003 - 6:15am.

New York -- The number of MP3 digital music players shipped to retailers is expected to almost double in 2003 to over 3.5 million, and will continue to grow almost 50% per year for the next three years, according to a report from New York-based research firm Jupitermedia. The firm also predicts that demand for MP3 players with hard drives will outstrip demand for those with flash memory starting in 2004, and that by 2006, the installed base of MP3 players will top 26 million, establishing a critical mass of users that will help spur digital music sales. Jupitermedia credited the successful launch of Apple's iTunes Store and accompanying iPod player, new entries from HP and Dell for the MP3 player market, and the new crop of download stores from Napster, Musicmatch and others, for the device category's rise in popularity. "They're not quite this season's DVD player, but portable music players, combined with online music stores and services, will be a strong holiday shopping combination," said Jupiter Research vice president and research director David Card.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/031209/95165_1.html
http://www.jupitermedia.com