Bit of a dilemma, some advice please

[woodbane]

Hi all,

Long time browser, first post. Just looking for some advice based on the following scenario:

I purchased a refurbished iPad 64gb 3G model. Had a screen protector on from day one. The edges started lifting so I decided to take I off and use the device naked. I then noticed a tiny, and I mean tiny nick in the glass on the top side of the iPad. It's actually on the black border about 3mm from the screen but there is a 4mm hairline scratch that does extend on to the edge of the screen proper.

So I called Apple care to see what, if anything they can do. Amazingly they are going to replace (and tech support did say it would be a different unit) under warranty. Here's the kicker. I am running untethered Jailbreak on 4.3.3. I purely use jail breaking for the incredible added functionality you get from some of the Cydia apps. Some of these apps add so much functionality to the iPad it's unbelievable.

I received an email from Apple today with instructions on returning the iPad and it states quite clearly that they will update the OS to 4.3.5. On the replacement unit. Now I know 4.3.5 has been jail broken BUT its tethered and that's looking unlikely to change.

So, do I get the replacement and live with a tethered jailbreak? Or do I suck it up and live with the tiny mark in the glass? I'm a bit anal about my stuff being perfect! Plus, I just like the thought of the untethered jailbreak. I rarely have to reboot but still.....

I have seen two threads on another forum about how to roll back to 4.3.3 without blobs but am unsure how well it works.

Any and all advice would be much appreciated.

 

[f4780y]

Well, if you are anal about the look then you need to get it replaced. So then you will be stuck (most likely) with 4.3.5. There will be no way to downgrade it. Check my sticky here for details on blobs - http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-hacking/24323-shsh-blobs-frequently-asked-questions-updated.html

You won't have any for your new iPad, so you won't be able to downgrade to 4.3.3.

So, next you have to consider if you can live with a tethered jailbreak. My honest opinion is that it is EASY to live with a tethered jailbreak on the iPad. The number of times you actually have to reboot your iPad are few and far between. Back in the days of 4.2.1 I lived with a tethered jailbreak for about 3 months and it simply was not a problem. During the first few hours / days, you need to do several reboots when you install the first glut of Cydia tweaks. After that, almost nothing forces you to reboot. As long as you keep your iPad charged and don't do anything foolish you probably won't even notice it's tethered. But that's my personal opinion based on experience with the iPad1.

FYI, my iPhone is currently tethered on IOS5 beta, and it doesn't cause me any problems either...

 

[woodbane]

A question about the rebooting. A lot of the Cydia apps require a RESPRING after install. Is that the same as a reboot and would therefore require access to a PC? I could imagine that being a lot more of a hassle.

I actually don't recall many of the Cydia apps I have installed requiring a full reboot.

 

[graywolf]

A question about the rebooting. A lot of the Cydia apps require a RESPRING after install. Is that the same as a reboot and would therefore require access to a PC? I could imagine that being a lot more of a hassle.

I actually don't recall many of the Cydia apps I have installed requiring a full reboot.

The bootloader is not activated during a respiring so it is not a reboot. You do not need a computer after respringing. Springboard is just restarted.

 

[woodbane]

The bootloader is not activated during a respiring so it is not a reboot. You do not need a computer after respringing.

Thats good news at least. Is there really any likelihood of 4.3.5 becoming untethered or is the community focused on iOS 5 now?

Many thanks for all the useful info. I'm thinking it's likely I'll get the unit replaced, after all, when I'm paying out the kind of money we do for one of these things, I want it to be as perfect as possible right?

It certainly sounds like the tethered jailbreak isn't as bad as I thought.

Is there any easy way to. Back up mall of my Cydia apps and then reinstall on the new unit?

 

[graywolf]

The bootloader is not activated during a respiring so it is not a reboot. You do not need a computer after respringing.

Thats good news at least. Is there really any likelihood of 4.3.5 becoming untethered or is the community focused on iOS 5 now?

Many thanks for all the useful info. I'm thinking it's likely I'll get the unit replaced, after all, when I'm paying out the kind of money we do for one of these things, I want it to be as perfect as possible right?

It certainly sounds like the tethered jailbreak isn't as bad as I thought.

Is there any easy way to. Back up mall of my Cydia apps and then reinstall on the new unit?

The community is focused on iOS 5.
As for backing up, I recommend PKGBackup.