There is your problem.
You are not making an "investment" you are purchasing a tool. I don't know how many times I have to say that.
And I don't know how many times I need to tell people that the problem is NOT that "It still does the same thing it did yesterday! It's not suddenly broken, is it? blah blah blah."
Of *course* it still works. I'm not a complete idiot, and there's no need to point these things out.
Now that that's out of the way... it depends on how you view "investment". If you mean that I think it's going to appreciate, then no, I don't think that. If you mean that my ROI = what I bought it thinking it would do (which I think is your intent) then you are right. It does what I thought it'd do when I bought it. It is no more or less than it was.
The thing that irks me is that when I say "investment" I count on the product having a certain longevity where the manufacturer is concerned. Apple has obliterated the product completely from its offerings. It doesn't exist anymore, and for a thousand dollar investment, or tool, or whatever you want to call it, that's unreasonable and frankly unacceptable.
No, they didn't say that they wouldn't support it, and yes, it will run software going forward for a reasonable time. The thing that gets me is that Apple hasn't traditionally done this, and that's part of the reason I invest in them. I like that I can count on things lasting at least a year.
AND as much as all you folks like to point out the obvious fact that Apple is a company and therefore in it to make money, I have not, before this, felt like they didn't care at all for the people making them all this money. It's happening with greater frequency. I've said it before. Airplay video mirroring doesn't work on machines less than 2 years old, flagship products get obsoleted and removed from stock 7 months after release, you can BET the iPad Mini will have an IZGO retina display in under a year.
I'm saying that Apple's biting the hand that feeds it. I'm going to think twice before investing again. Apple should know that. I cannot be the only (now ex) early adopter. They burned millions of faithful customers. I won't say I'm not upset, and I won't buy that I have no reason to be miffed, even if the iPad 3 DOES still work.
/off my soap box for good now.