Does anyone know who the Number 2 portable media player manufacturer in the United States is?  Of course, the iPod is a runaway lock for number one with an over 70% market share.  So, who is number two?  I bet a lot of you are saying right now that it is probably the Microsoft Zune?  It must be the Zune.  NOPE!  Ok, then that funky new Creative Zen?  Wrong again!  Sony? Panasonic?  Insignia?  Who could it be?

Believe it or not, the number two spot actually goes to Sandisk, the popular manufacturers of flash memory, as well as the Sansa line of portable media players.  I have been using the Sansa e280R for several months and I can clearly see how the attained this position.  The Sansa is small and lightweight, has a ton of memory and is incredibly easy to use.

Now Robbie Bach, the President of the Microsoft Division which includes Zune, is boasting that after the holiday season, Zune will own the Number two position (it is currently in number four with a 3% market share). 

Carmella Lyman, a Sandisk spokesperson (shown above), is so confident that Microsoft’s claims are nothing more than hot air, that she is throwing down the gauntlet.  Hot on the heels of David Berlind’s post at ZDNet, in which he offered to shave his head if Zune jumped into the number two position, Carmella stated:

I, too, am so confident about SanDisk’s Sansa product line up for the holidays that I’ll put my head of hair on the line, too…..If we lose our #2 stake you can shave my head as well.  You and I would be taking to the shears together. That’s how confident I am about SanDisk and the great products we have this holiday season.

You can see David’s original blog post, as well as the follow up with Carmella at ZDNet.  I think both of their heads are safe.  What do you think?

[Source Aximsite and ZDNet]

Related posts:

1. Take a First View of the New and Improved Sandisk Sansa View
2. Myvu Ups The Ante With Its Latest Video Eyewear Offerings
3. Expanding The Sandisk Sansa Clip
4. SanDisk drops price on the Sansa Connect – How did we miss this?
5. Sandisk Lights My Fire With The Sansa Fuze.