Apple’s iPod is the second best gadget of the last 50 years, only being beaten to the top spot by Sony’s Walkman.

iPod beat TiVo, PalmPilot and the first compact disc player commercially released, to gain second place in the poll conducted by PC World magazine.

The result shows the speed with which the iPod has won the hearts of the gadget-loving public, since the first-generation model was only released on the market four years ago.

PC World commented on the poll’s outcome by saying: “If the Walkman is the aging king of portable media players, Apple’s iPod is prince regent”.

By 2005 more than 80 per cent of digital media players sold were iPods, with the iPod nano ranking highly on wish-lists this Christmas.

Now in its fifth generation with iPod video, Apple’s dominance of the portable music player market looks set to continue through to 2006 and beyond.

© 2005 Adfero Ltd