I bought my girlfriend the 3 a few months back and now own the iPad 4 myself. If you currently own an iPad 3, I would hold off until the next iteration, due to the lack of a "massive jump" reason, such as the retina display from 2 to 3. With that said, my iPad 4 is noticeably snappier than the iPad 3. When browsing web pages and the App Store scrolling is butter smooth on my 4, but sluggish at times on the 3. On the iPad 4 Apps definitely open quicker, as do web pages and emails. In addition, the incredible A6X processor definitely shows its teeth while running intensive games such as Nova 3, Modern Combat 3, and Galaxy on fire 2. If you have a iPad 1 or 2 the iPad 4 is definitely the iPad to get, but if you own an iPad 3, I think you'll be absolutely fine waiting for the inevitable iPad 5. If you are buying you're first tablet, get the 4th gen and feel comfort in knowing you own the best tablet on the market.