>>>didn't realise there was an iPad 4 coming out.
I think that is part of the problem. Apple normally give some indication a new device like an iPad is coming so people can hold off and wait for the new one.
This new iPad 4 came "out the blue" and so people were buying the iPad 3 right up to the day before the iPad 4 was announced.
But one review of the iPad 4 says:
If you just upgraded your iPad in the spring (iPad 3), don't worry that you're missing much with this bump in the new iPad 4. We know a lot of people will feel betrayed, having thought they were getting the best Apple has to offer for at least a year - but that shouldn't cause that much consternation.
However, if you're still using an iPad 2 or an original iPad, it's a significant step up, and still brings all the same Apple bells, whistles and whizzbangwhoosh that most have come to expect from the most popular tablet.