Apple's (Nasdaq:AAPL) Top iPad Competitor May Be RIM’s (Nasdaq:RIMM) Playbook

The real battle in the tablet market is about to begin, with Apple's (Nasdaq:AAPL) standing as the giant now with over 88 percent market share.

But that type of dominance obviously won't last, but the surprising pick by a growing number of analysts for the runner-up in the race is RIM’s (Nasdaq:RIMM) Playbook.

Many analysts have been either ignoring or sneering at the offering, but some are starting to see the potential strength inherent in the Playbook, based on the strong business ties already in place with Blackberry, which will be able to automatically synch with their tablet. That could be a major plus for IT departments looking to make things work easier for them.

Even though Apple has an extraordinary lead in the segment, that's not saying being in second place or third even, is a irrelevant feat, as tablet shipments by the end of 2012 for the overall market are expected to reach close to 100 million.

At that time some analysts see Apple dropping to between a 60 percent and 70 percent share. That leaves a remaining market of about 30 million tablets to sell.

If RIM does perform as some believe they will now, it could be a major win for the company, that has needed something to turn them around from being a niche company of the past.

Research in Motion was trading at $60.62, losing $1.30, or 2.10 percent, as of 1:36 PM EST.