In a sign that legal digital music services are finally gaining ground on file-sharing, Apple's iTunes Music Store tied with peer-to-peer service LimeWire as the second most-popular digital music service in March 2005, according to a report from New York-based market research firm NPD Group. The top service in March was file-sharing service WinMX, which was accessed by 2.1 million households; both iTunes and LimeWire were used by 1.7 million households. Also in the top 10 were file-sharing networks Kazaa and iMesh, and legal services Napster and Rhapsody. NPD said a total of 4 percent of Internet-enabled U.S. households used a paid music download store during March. "One of the music industry's questions has been when will paid download stores compete head-to-head with free P2P download services," said NPD Group's Russ Crupnick. "That question has now been answered. iTunes is more popular than nearly any P2P service, and two other paid digital music offerings have also gained a level of critical mass."
The personal computing device market continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience despite recent fluctuations. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), global PC shipments are projected to reach 273 million units in 2025—a modest but significant 3.7 percent increase over the previous year. This growth reflects the market's adaptation to post-pandemic realities and evolving technology needs across the globe. Personal Computing Market Development While COVID-19 initially triggered unprecedented demand for computing devices during the shift to remote work and online education, we now see a more measured growth pattern. IDC has slightly adjusted its projections downward, indicating a market growing steadily rather than explosively. "In light of so many challenges around the world, Japan is a much-needed source of double-digit growth this year. Enterprises there as well as SMBs have been quickly replacing PCs in advance of the Window...