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Apple's portable music players took another five of the top 25 bestsellers, with Microsoft's heavily marketed Zune so far behind that it was outsold by an iPod accessory. The Microsoft player was number 75 behind Apple's USB power adapter at 65.

The weekend sales, which follow the Thanksgiving holiday, show that as things stand the iPod appears immune to the Zune, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore.

Whitmore said that all three iPod

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models are selling well and that his checks indicate that Apple is having no problem with meeting demand. He added that the decision to release the new nanos in a variety of colours is proving particularly popular.

ThinkEquity Partners analyst Jonathan Hoopes said that Apple's retail stores are a key factor in the iPod's continued dominance of its market.

'Apple's Retail Store is a clear differentiator and significant catalyst for further gains and profit-margin expansion,' he wrote in a note to investors. 'Never in the history of the PC, has a company been better positioned to both gain share and improve profitability, in our opinion.'

Apple's own stores aside, a recent survey found that 70 per cent of retailers recommend iPods in preference to other players.