February 11, 2009 5:34 PM
- Text
iTunes Gets Back To Normal
(AP)
Apple Computer Inc.'s popular iTunes Music Store appeared to be back to normal Thursday, two days after shoppers wielding new iPods and gift cards faced error messages and long delays while trying to download songs.
Apple officials didn't return telephone calls Thursday, and the company has not explained why some shoppers on Monday and Tuesday experienced 20-minute delays when they tried to download a song.
But Wall Street analysts said the delays were probably caused by music sales that dramatically exceeded the Cupertino-based company's own forecasts and resulted in too many people trying to access the site at once.
Four times as many people visited the iTunes on Christmas than at the same time last year, according to online market researcher Hitwise.
Apple commands about 75 percent of the market for downloaded music, but could lose as much as 5 percent of that market share in 2007 because of increased competition from rival services, according to Piper Jaffray.
Apple officials didn't return telephone calls Thursday, and the company has not explained why some shoppers on Monday and Tuesday experienced 20-minute delays when they tried to download a song.
But Wall Street analysts said the delays were probably caused by music sales that dramatically exceeded the Cupertino-based company's own forecasts and resulted in too many people trying to access the site at once.
Four times as many people visited the iTunes on Christmas than at the same time last year, according to online market researcher Hitwise.
Apple commands about 75 percent of the market for downloaded music, but could lose as much as 5 percent of that market share in 2007 because of increased competition from rival services, according to Piper Jaffray.
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