I’ve told my tale of woe regarding my iPad Pro’s inability to stay put at 80 mph on an interstate highway longer than 14 miles. After FindMy told me where it jumped off, I was able to get the Montana Highway Patrol to rescue it, and although the screen spits out tiny bits of sand from its multiple cracks, big AND small, and although the “Magic” Keyboard is no longer magical (some keys don’t move when tapped and don’t register in documents—and I don’t know yet whether a thorough cleaning would help, because the cocoon of the keypad is about the only thing keeping the screen loosely aligned with the case), the thing still WORKS!

I thought I’d discovered a place to get repairs done at a substantial savings compared to replacement with a new device ($350 screen replacement at Radio Shack). However, when I brought the tablet in to them yesterday to set up the service, they presented me with a repair agreement that stated, among other things:

Apple lists a charge of around $550 for repairs, with a 90 day warranty, AND Apple has certified refurbs of my tablet for $639, but I can purchase a new 4th generation model from Costco for $749, and if I wait a week, I can get Apple Black Friday deals (a gift card worth probably $100-$200).

So, my question is whether there’s enough difference between gen 3 and gen 4 tablets to justify the $110 price difference. In the specs, the upgrades seem to be limited to the following:

I’m wondering if anyone here has any real-world experience comparing the two.

And, does anyone have suggestions regarding what to do with my current device, which might be worth SOMETHING to SOMEONE.

And for all my Bozeman neighbors for people who insist on moving here from one coast or the other, a little warning: in the 4th largest US State by area, there seem to be just 4 places that do authorized Apple device service, and each of them is at least 150 miles away. And we have winter.

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Jim Robertson