QuickTime: Was third, now second


Internet News, quoting a Frost & Sullivan report, states that Apple's QuickTime player now ranks ahead of Real and just one-plus percent behind Microsoft's Windows Media Player. Here's the relevant bit:

"A recent report on media player market share sales for client and enterprise applications by research firm Frost & Sullivan showed Apple moving into second position with 36.8 percent of the market, after running a distant third a few years ago. That puts Apple above Real, which controls 24.9 percent and not too far off from Microsoft and its share of 38.2 percent."

These numbers put a face (of terror) on Real's recent public and private efforts to strike a digital rights management (DRM) sharing deal with Apple. Add yesterday's announcement that QuickTime 6 has been downloaded 250 million times and it becomes increasingly clear that Real is in free fall.

Thereupon, it seems reasonable to assume that Apple's bundling of QuickTime with iTunes for Windows is driving this trend.

Not just for creation anymore

Moreover, with Microsoft's player and DRM strategies still unfolding -- WMP is currently at v10 beta -- it appears, at least to this pundit, that QuickTime is the player to beat as Apple drives home its digital media dominance with the introduction of AirTunes and announcement next week of iTMS Europe.

Me thinks iTMS Europe will quickly shave the two-plus percent Microsoft currently has on Apple.

I don't know about you, but I'd love to see the peripheral data for QuickTime player usage. That is, I'd like to know how many more people are using it to view trailers, etc (in opposition to the other players)...