Yes, you can save your data. When/if you decide to upgrade, do a backup of the iPad right after you connect it to iTunes. Then, select "Restore" on the main Summary page. iTunes will put on a fresh iOS and, when prompted, you will then select "restore from backup."

iTunes will put all the info back onto the iPad that you had just before the update/upgrade. As far as I could tell when I did it in the past - all data is there: game progress, emails, contacts, wireless info, etc. Your iPad will be just as you had it - though with iOS 6.

Oh, and you must do it this way with a jail broken iPad. The over-the-air update/upgrade will not work on a jail broken iPad. You must use iTunes.

Obviously, you will lost the jailbreak. For now.

Hope this helps.

Marilyn

P.S. And a "hard reset" (holding the buttons until you see the Apple logo) only resets the iPad. It does not affect the installed iOS - your jail break is not affected. And, selecting any of the reset options in your Settings app is the LAST thing a person with a jail broken iPad wants to do. That will seriously mess up the iPad and create the need for a restore (and, if you don't have a fresh backup, your "stuff" will be gone). Just FYI ...

P.P.S. And, since you talk about a jail broken iPad, I've taken the liberty of moving your post over to the Hacking section. Thanks for your understanding.

You can do it over the air in Settings.

Not on a jailbroken device I'm afraid. OTA is not supported in a JB configuration.
iTunes and the PC is the way to go for this member.

After the obligatory backup to iTunes or iCloud, connect to iTunes and choose "restore". You'll get IOS6 assuming its released when you do it....

After restoring from JB though! They can right?

Sure. I was going on the basis the OP was going to restore was after IO6 is out. Going back to stock 5.1.1 now then up to 6 after release is possible too, just a bit more convoluted

Absolutely. If you remove the jailbreak you remove all the enhancement it provides.

Yes, as Marilyn laid out for you above, if you restore the device and restore your backup + sync with iTunes, you should get all your apps, data, save games, media etc. back. The only thing missing will be anything to do with the jailbreak, so themes, tweaks etc.

Yes, same thing applies if you restore now to iOS 5.1.1 versus waiting until iOS 6 is out. When you restore it with iTunes, at some point during the process, iTunes will ask you how you want to restore 'as new" or "restore from backup." That's when you select the backup you made just before beginning the restore process.

You'll end up with all your stock 'stuff" (apps, data, games progress, etc.) but you will have none of the jail break stuff.

Hope this clarifies.

Marilyn

Snap!