Is the Ipad a Disruptive Technology?

As described by Clayton Christensen, a "disruptive technology is a new technological innovation, product or service that eventually overturns the existing dominant technology or product in the market". A disruptive product can also be described as a product that substitutes another product because of its superior features and performance. The iPad is a product that is considered by many experts to be a disruptive technology because it was the first tablet to offer such elaborate complexity and product rich features.
There were previous dominant technologies prior to the iPad in the tablet PC market that the iPad substituted, however those products failed to capture the market with the dominance the iPad has. The relatively low cost and high number of applications available for the device has filled a niche in the market for consumers who wanted a mobile platform and a device that is not as complex as traditional home PCs and laptops. The cost of an iPad at $499 is a price that appeals to tech users and not so technically savvy consumers makes it affordable and cheaper than a new laptop. The high number of applications available from the Apple App Store offers applications in a wide range of categories such as books, business, education, entertainment, games, news, social networking and travel.
The iPad has had further reaching effects on today’s consumer market besides in the technology devices market. The iPad has had an undeniable affect on the publishing and media industries that has caused these industries to have to reevaluate their business models. Publishers, textbook publishers, newspapers, music labels and even television networks have been affected by the presence of the iPad, and the full effects have not yet been completely played out. The consumer consumption methods of the content produced by the publishing and media industries have changed because of the iPad. This not only directly affects the industries method of delivery of their content but