Macbook Air shipments to reach 700,000

A Chinese-language newspaper named Commercial Times stated that Concord Securities analyst Mingchi Kuo has predicted MacBook Air sales of approximately 700,000 for the quarter.

Apple’s MacBook Air shipments in fourth quarter of 2010 are supposed to reach about 700,000 units, which accounts for more than 17% share of the company’s 4.1 million Mac shipments, and in case of the 11.6-inch model, it may account for 60% of the total MacBook Air sales, because of its low price.

Kuo also reports that the release of Mac OS X Lion next year should definitely increase the attractiveness of the MacBook Air as an option for a second machine for users, it is still unclear though as to which specific features of Lion Kuo expects to boost that draw. In addition, Lion’s target release date of “summer” 2011 means that any such effects predicted would occur in the relatively distant future.

Kuo was previously an analyst with DigiTimes.com research arm and was the first to report about Apple’s plans for an 11.6-inch MacBook Air, back in mid-July.