Must Read: No niche for iPad: Why I returned mine

Topic: Browser

iPod touch Web share triples; Windows reaches new low

Summary: Web browsing market share for the iPod touch has tripled in just five months, outpacing the iPhone and other mobile devices, according to new statistics.Though the iPod touch accounted a tiny 0.

Andrew Nusca

By for The ToyBox |

Web browsing market share for the iPod touch has tripled in just five months, outpacing the iPhone and other mobile devices, according to new statistics.

Though the iPod touch accounted a tiny 0.05 percent of all web traffic in November, according to Net Applications, the device's use has seen steady gains that put the touchscreen Wi-Fi device at 0.15 percent -- still tiny, but a 300 percent increase in its footprint in less than six months.

Clearly, more people are discovering the iPod touch as an inexpensive portable Internet browsing device.

To compare, iPhone share also grew substantially during the period but grew 150 percent (from 0.37 percent to 0.55 percent of all Web traffic), despite having always-on 3G capability.

Make no mistake: the iPod touch is a hot piece of device, and it's a wonder why there hasn't been a serious Wi-Fi-only contender to the device from any of Apple's competitors. Sure, 3G devices are immensely lucrative for their limitless data plans, but what do consumers really want -- particularly in an economic downturn?

(Hint: not another contract.)

Also of note: Microsoft Windows' share, while still the lion's share of the market, has dropped to its lowest point since tracking began, falling to 87.9 percent. (By comparison, Mac share dipped slightly to 9.73 percent.)

Alternatively, Linux passed the 1 percent mark for the first time. [via]

Topics: Browser, Apple, Hardware, Mobility, Wi-Fi, Windows

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

Talkback

15 comments
Log in or register to join the discussion

  • "hot piece of device"?

    Thanks, Borat!
    RocketEater
    Reply Vote

    • What can I say...

      ..."hot piece of plastic, glass, steel and silicon" just didn't roll off the tongue as easily.
      andrew.nusca
      Reply Vote

      • True, but...

        I think "hot device" would do. Anyways I'm not surprised about the iPod Touch numbers. I know and have seen more people getting an iPod Touch as an iPhone without the monthly fees. If you don't need to be connected 24/7, it's a good alternative.

        RocketEater
        Reply Vote

      • Hot piece of mass? [nt]

        [nt]
        olePigeon
        Reply Vote

  • It means two things

    First, WiFi becomes more widely deployed.
    Second, cellphone 3G may be the trend.
    Gladiatorcn
    Reply Vote

    • Third thing...

      Third, mobile Safari is the first truly usable
      mobile web browser.
      techconc
      Reply Vote

  • Why ...?

    Why do iPhone and iPod Touch count separately as "Operating Systems" They arent. They both use the same OS...which is OSX....They should count under MAC...as another flavor of that. And Java ME isn't an OS.. Android is simply Linux and should be counted as such unless you want to split that out into ... the 400 flavors of linux. What is the linpus Linux market share? Anyone care? No?

    So why not split Windows into its flavors? 98 and XP have about as much in common as Debian and Ubuntu... right?

    Strange list. Looks like hardware marketing hype is mixed in...

    AND... judging by the outcome, if I were from another planet and looked at this list...

    The fact that something with a .15 jumped 300% would be unnoticed next to the fact that Windows 87.9% market share continues to be an unmitigated runaway juggernaut of success.
    notlehs
    Reply Vote

  • RE: iPod touch Web share triples; Windows reaches new low

    I find it interesting that the iPod touch is having such great growth instead of the iPhone. It makes you wonder why people are choosing the ipod over the iphone. Me? I just wouldn't use AT&T's network. The iPod does everything I need it to, then use my Verizon phone for other stuff. Which brings me to the next part. I'm surprised that BREW is at 0.00%, given that Verizon's 3G network is fast and most people have an unlimited data plan for their phones nowadays which includes mobile web.
    Loverock Davidson
    Reply Vote

    • Wow, I'm actually agreeing with Loverock. [nt]

      [nt]
      olePigeon
      Reply Vote

    • iPod Touch

      [i]"I find it interesting that the iPod touch
      is having such great growth instead of the
      iPhone."[/i]

      Why, iPod sales have always outpaced individual
      phone unit sales of a similar cost. With the
      iPod, you don't have the issue of on-going
      costs. This is great for kids, etc. that
      likely can't afford a phone with a data plan.

      [i]"I just wouldn't use AT&T's network. "[/i]

      To each his own as they say... Geographically,
      each carrier has strengths and weaknesses. If
      AT&T were as bad as the vocal minority seem to
      constantly suggest, nobody would use them. In
      reality, I've had completely trouble free
      service for years with them (Cingular before
      that). Years back, I actually switch from
      Verizon due to poor service - imagine that.
      I'm sure both carriers are better then they
      were years ago.
      techconc
      Reply Vote

  • Get real

    "...tripled to 0.15%": that's a 0.10% increase.

    the iPhone has gone from 0.37% to 0.55%: that's a 0.18% increase.

    So what? this is exactly in line with Apple's data (as many iPod touches sold as iPhones for the last quarter), with the iPhone's growth outstripping the iPod touch's in fact, but probably equalling if you factor in the iPhones extra 3G connectivity.

    Toffing up a .10% percent increase as a 300% increase to exaggerate the iPod touch's market growth is pathetic journalism. Sharpen up ZDnet.
    theoxygenthief
    Reply Vote

    • learn math...

      learn math.. the article is right and you are completely wrong...
      doh123
      Reply Vote

      • Correction

        Sorry for some reason I was thinking 200% increase. 300% increase
        would be from 0.0375% to 0.15% if I am correct.
        That's still only a 0.1125% increase compared to 0.18% for the iPhone.

        My maths is wrong but the article is still wrong
        theoxygenthief
        Reply Vote

  • RE: iPod touch Web share triples; Windows reaches new low

    Math, math, math, give the guy a break. Fifteen is three
    hundred percent bigger than five isn't it?

    As for the OS chart, I would agree that it is misleading on
    several counts whether by intent or not. A previous person
    said that one should throw the iPhone and iPod into the OS
    X column and well it should. Not into the Mac column
    however as that is a hardware distinction as much as iPod
    and iPhone. Lumping all flavors of Windows into one then
    makes sense. I'm not sure how one could evaluate how
    many versions are out there running on older hardware.
    Same with the OS X. How many Macs are out there running
    OS 7-9? I dare say quite a few, at least enough to rival an
    iPod number.
    Well intentioned article attempting to digest published
    numbers. Checking sources better and finding firmer, more
    carefully presented numbers would have been clearer.
    dheady@...
    Reply Vote

  • delete

    nt
    Bruizer
    Reply Vote
CNET Join | Log In | Privacy | Cookies Close