Apple CEO Steve Jobs has said that the worldwide success of the iPod has produced massive sale increases for the Apple brand.

Speaking at this year’s Apple Expo in Paris, Mr Jobs revealed that Apple Mac computer sales doubled during the first half of this year, partly due to the success of the iPod digital music player.

“We will never know precisely what the halo effect is – how much of the increase is due to the iPod – but we think it is substantial,” Mr Jobs told attendees of the five day conference.

Apple’s earnings for this quarter, which will include the sale of the new iPod nano, will be published in October.

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