TORONTO - The PlayBook, Research In Motion's computer tablet, will face stiff competition for consumers' loyalty and is expected to appeal more to business and "hardcore" BlackBerry users, analysts say.

Research In Motion (TSX:RIM) said on Tuesday that the PlayBook will be available in more than 20,000 retail outlets in Canada and the United States beginning April 19.

"We expect the PlayBook to be a hit with hardcore BlackBerry users who, we believe, remain a significant subset of the approximately 55 million BlackBerry subscriber base," said analyst Matthew Robison of San Francisco-based Wunderlich securities.

A plus for the PlayBook is the ability to tether it to a BlackBerry smartphone to get email and other content, offering security that "cannot be matched by other tablets," Robison said.

"The degree that web performance will differentiate PlayBook outside the BlackBerry community remains to be seen," Robison said in a research note.

The Waterloo, Ont., smartphone maker is expected to report strong quarterly results on Thursday, but the PlayBook is seen as a key to its rejuvenation as an innovative tech company. RIM couldn't be reached for comment on the launch of the PlayBook.

In the competitive consumer technology market, the PlayBook will still have to compete against Apple's iPad and tablets that run on Google's Android operating system such as the Samsung Galaxy and the Motorla Xoom.

National Bank Financial analyst Kris Thompson said he expects the PlayBook to sell just under 500,000 units by the end of May, with 350,000 of the tablets going to business users and the rest to consumers.

"In total, we expect RIM to ship 3.6 million units in fiscal 2012 and 6.2 million units in fiscal 2013," Thompson wrote in a research note, adding he expects RIM to grab about seven per cent of the tablet market in 2011.

Shares in RIM made a slight gain of 19 cents to close at $61.14 Tuesday on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky said he expects the PlayBook to make a strong debut with RIM shipping 500,000 of the devices in its first quarter this spring.

"Given stiff competition from iPad 2 and Android, PlayBook will need to stake and hold its own ground in the rapidly expanding tablet market -- and we think PlayBook will have a strong debut," Abramsky said in a research note.

Abramsky estimated the PlayBook will add $3 billion in revenue for the Waterloo, Ont., company in its 2012 fiscal year.

The first generation of the PlayBook will rely on Wi-Fi short-range networks to connect to the Internet, initially without contracts with wireless carriers.

The units will range in price from $499 to $699 and be available at Best Buy and Future Shop stores in Canada. However, the RIM said customers can place orders beginning today in stores or by ordering online.

The BlackBerry PlayBook will be available in three models, featuring 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes of storage capacity, similar to the iPad.

RIM also has said it will release other PlayBook tablets for advanced wireless networks, which will require contracts with wireless carriers.

Chicago-based analyst Anil Doradla said he expects RIM's fourth-quarter results to be driven by strong sales internationally, offsetting weak North American sales where the company is continuing to lose market share.

"Relative to three months ago, the market has become more competitive, with pressure from Android devices by HTC, Motorola, and Samsung, and continued strength from Apple spreading to Verizon," Doradla said in a note.

"As a result, since our checks began two and a half years ago, this was the first time that RIM did not have a smartphone in the top three position at any of the four major North American operators," he said, referring to U.S. wireless carriers.