PlayBooks outsold iPads last week

Research in Motion Ltd. said its PlayBook tablet computer outsold Apple's iPad last week at a number of Canadian retailers.

The Waterloo, Ont.-based technology company said on its official @BlackBerry Twitter account that the PlayBook was the No. 1 selling tablet computer last week at Canada's two largest electronics sellers Best Buy and Future Shop.

When asked for comment by CBC News, BlackBerry declined to offer specific sales statistics, but reiterated the tweets that showed PlayBooks were the most popular tablets at several retailers last week.

The company recently unveiled an update to the PlayBook's operating system which, in addition to fixing a number of bugs in the first release, added an email application an oversight that some analysts say was costing the PlayBook sales from day one.

RIM shares have been hit hard of lateas competing smartphone makers have eaten into their once-dominant status as leaders in the enterprise space.

The encouraging news for RIM comes on the eve of an Apple event due to rejuvenate sales of their tablet computer, the iPad. It's believe Cupertino, Calif.- based Apple is set to reveal the iPad 3 at a press event on March 7.

In a release Monday, RIM also said the company is seeing strong growth in its BlackBerry App World offerings. As of the end of February, some 6,225 apps have been submitted, of which 1,827 have already been approved. Another 3,000 are pending review.