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Analyst: Apple sold 1.1 million MacBook Airs in 2010

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of Concord Securities predicts that Apple sold an impressive 1.1 million MacBook Air units in the last few months of 2010. Kuo originally predicted sales of 700,000 units but bumped up his estimate after receiving new information from Asian supply chain sources.

The second generation MacBook Air debuted in October 2010 in 11- and 13-inch models and is reportedly selling at a brisk rate. This boom in sales is casually evidenced by the growing number of MacBook Air models spotted in the wild. Its slim and sexy form factor, coupled with favorable reviews have only bolstered the popularity of this model.

Apple has not released sales figures for the MacBook Air, but its Q1 2011 financial earnings report confirmed the Cupertino company sold 2.9 million notebooks during the 2010 holiday shopping season. This sales number includes MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. If Kuo's 1.1 million estimate is accurate, then over 40 percent of Apple notebook sales came from the MacBook Air.

Kuo is not the only analyst to take note of the MacBook Air. Shortly after launch, Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar suggested the popularity of the MacBook Air may cannibalize iPad sales. We recently took our own look at the question of the MacBook Air versus iPad and came to the conclusion that the two devices target different audiences. The question is not whether the MacBook Air is superior to the iPad, but which device is best suited to your needs.