From ReadWriteWeb…

After mixed reviews detailing the unfinished state, not to mention the bugs and quirks that comprise RIM's new 7-inch tablet computer, the BlackBerry PlayBook, few expected yesterday's launch to be anything short of failure. But as it turns out, the tablet did better than expected - at least according to analysts. Early reports estimate that Research in Motion (RIM) moved around 50,000 units on day one of the PlayBook's commercial availability. There are even some reports of the tablet selling out at major retailers.

Of course, 50,000 is a drop in the bucket when compared with Apple's booming tablet business. For comparison's sake, Apple sold 300,000 iPads on day one last April - a launch that defined the tablet market itself.

An important point here.  The iPad launched in the  U.S. on April 3rd and in the rest of the world a month later.    So that 300,000 number is just the U.S.  The same is true of the Motorola Xoom which was released in the U.S. on March 27th but didn’t make it to Canada until April 8th.

The Playbook on the other hand released to the U.S. and Canada at the same time.  To compare Apple sold 1 iPad for every 1030 people it was available to while the playbook sold 1 for every 6,900 people it was available to. 

Also keep in mind Canada has always been RIM’s best market (RIM is a Canadian company).  The company itself employs 17,500 Canadians (who I suspect make up a large portion of the 20,000 pre-orders). 

Oh and one more thing.  This is all based on analysis from the Royal Bank of Canada’s Mike Abramsky who has continued to list RIM as a “Top Pick” even as other analysts have downgraded it.    In fact he has been laughably optimistic about the Playbook.  From allthingsd.com…

Strong buying intentions are developing around Research In Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook ahead of its presumed March launch. Extrapolating from a post-CES consumer survey, RBC* analyst Mike Abramsky concludes the device could sell four million units this calendar year and in excess of six million units in its first full year at market.

“The data shows PlayBook appealing to early adopters and power users, given its differentiation from iPad,” Abramsky told clients, noting that six percent of the survey group said they were “likely” to buy a PlayBook. Of those, one percent were “very likely” and the remaining five percent “somewhat likely.”

This is funny given Mr. Abramsky’s pessimism about RIM’s competitors in the past. 

Bottom Line: The whole thing doesn’t smell right.