Apple Inc. on Monday said it has sold its 100 millionth iPod in just over five years, making the digital gadget "the fastest selling music player in history." Introduced in 2001, the music player currently dominates over 75 percent of the market and has spawned an unprecedented range of over 4,000 accessories made specifically for it.

"iPod has helped millions of people around the world rekindle their passion for music, and we're thrilled to be a part of that," Apple's CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement.

Apple's iTunes online music store has sold more than 2.5 billion songs, 50 million television shows and more than 1.3 million movies.

However, the must-have portable device will face another rival on the market with flash memory maker SanDisk announcing on Monday the launch of the Wi-Fi-enabled Sansa Connect, which offers computer-free connection to Yahoo music and download services.

Users of the Sansa Connect device will be able to use a Wi-Fi wireless connection to listen to LAUNCHcast Internet radio, browse Flickr photos and see what Yahoo Messenger friends and other Sansa Connect owners nearby are listening to. LAUNCHcast and Flickr are both part of the Yahoo network.

But analysts doubt the new gadget will be able to steal much share from the dominant iPod. Numerous companies, including giants like Sony and Microsoft, have tried but so far failed to challenge the device.