Apple Leverage iTunes To Co-Bundle Safari Browser

We know what's going on here.  The browser market is a very lucrative market.  What's the average lifetime value of a user in this space?  It's much higher than search toolbars, with very little churn as well. 

"Earlier today, Apple released the Safari 3.1 Web browser for Mac OS and Windows XP/Vista. A couple hours later, Apple Software Update popped up on my daughter's Sony VAIO, offering Safari 3.1 for download," noted Microsoft Watch's Joe Wilcox. "I didn't recall seeing an earlier version installed on the laptop. And I made no mistake: The Apple updater offered installation of new software, not something that had been there before. Whoa."

Attractive economics is always complented with an increased propensity to spend per user desktop acquisition, but by leveraging the iTunes installed base, Apple is giving themselves instant browser installed share (not usage, yet). 

Meanwhile, Apple is also contending on a second front in its charge towards supremacy in the browser market, to which it has witnessed more immediate success. Its iPhone and iPod touch -- both of which ship with a mobile version of Safari -- have served to springboard the company to the top of the US mobile browser rankings in a mere eight months, according a recent report from Ireland-based StatCounter.

If this works, Apple could eclipse the installed base of smaller players such as Opera overnight.  I'm actually quite surprised that they are showing this much moxy in the browser space.  This has to be part of a bigger strategy that I'm missing.  Apple isn't a company that cares about search rev share from browsers.

edit: I forgot to add that of course conversion won't be 100% but it'll be much higher than average.  Also, getting on the desktop is only half the battle, the other half is driving usage.