In spite of recent Piper Jaffray observations, iPod sales actually did better than expected in July -- at least at retail, according to FTN Equity Capital Markets analyst Bill Fearnley Jr.. Having surveyed a collection of retailers across the US, Fearnley notes that 27 percent of them reported above-plan iPod sales for July, as compared to 7 percent for June, and a group of 13 percent who claimed below-anticipated results in May.

Some 62 percent of retailers cite either the Classic or the Touch as July's bestselling iPod, a rise from 53 percent in June. The Nano has correspondingly slid in importance, dropping eight points to reach 30 percent.

The difference between FTN and Piper numbers may be attributable to retail pessimism. Because the retail sector has had poor sales for nearly a year, businesses may be expecting such results as a rule, not accounting for Apple's generally high performance. Aiding sales at the moment is thought to be Apple's Back to School promotion, offering a rebate on a iPod along with an educational Mac purchase.