Based on orders received, Taiwan-based notebook supply chain makers indicated that orders for notebooks to be shipped in 2015 from Apple and Lenovo have the highest visibility.

Among notebook vendors, Apple, Lenovo and Asustek Computer are currently performing better than others, but only Lenovo and Apple are expected to achieve stable shipment growths in 2015.

Asustek is mainly relying on its T100 series' strong sales to prop up its shipments in the fourth quarter, but with China players also starting to release inexpensive 2-in-1 devices, Asustek may need to seek a new growth driver for 2015 to maintain its performance.

The sources estimate that Apple's shipments will reach around 5-5.2 million units in the fourth quarter, down 5-10% from 5.52 million units in the third.

With Apple's new MacBook Air with Retina display set to be released in 2015, the sources expect their orders from Apple to increase for both new models and existing models since Apple is likely to offer price cuts for the existing models by then.

The sources are most optimistic about Lenovo's shipments in 2015 and Europe will continue to be the main growth driver for the China-based vendor in the year. The company's sales in China are also expected to recover in 2015.

Since Lenovo has been aggressively replacing its existing Taiwan component suppliers with China-based ones, the sources are concerned that they may not be able to enjoy the order increases from the China-based vendor.