Last week Apple released version 9 of their iTunes software, and they have continued to include Safari as part of the regular update. The inclusion of Safari within iTunes updates was intended to help Apple gain more market share of the Windows browser market, and they’ve been including Safari since March 2009.

Missing out? iTunes has over 500 million users

With their reported iTunes user base being well over 500 million, Apple should have made significant strides in the Windows browser market.

However, recent browser usage statistics have shown only a minor incline over the last 6 months – significantly behind the incline of Firefox and Chrome.

So what’s happened?

I think the stumbling block here has been a lack of user education.

Unlike your Firefox or Chrome install-base who have consciously gone out specifically to download these browsers, I imagine the Safari install-base for Windows will largely be iTunes users unaware that they have installed Safari during an update. User engagement and education is crucial aspect of software marketing.

If Apple want to capture a larger share of the Windows Browser market, they really need to engage with their install base through some high-quality user education, selling the benefits of Safari to iTunes users.