thanks for this post. I sold my ipad 3 before the ipad air announcement in anticipation of upgrading. I bought the ipad 3 the week after the ipad 4 was announced for a whopping $509.99 (16 gig with cellular), so I was able to recoup most of my money by selling before the announcement of the iPad Air.
I have regretted it ever since. I bought an ipad air, and returned it. I didn't like how fragile it was. (2 friends also bought one on launch day, and screen broke on 1 after a 10-12 inch drop).
I have been looking for a decent deal on an ipad 4, and you showed it to me.
I bought a 64 gig wifi + Sprint for $489 (no shipping charges or tax), so I am pretty stoked. I can't wait for it to get here.