My iPad 1st gen has a large grey stripe in the middle of the screen. Any help would be appreciated

Question

It was not dropped and has no other damage and works fine EXCEPT i cannot view the middle part of the screen.
From other posts and searching the web this seems to be a "KNOWN" 1st Gen issue and I am ot the only one. 
Anyone had any luck with getting this solved ??
My solution was I just bought a new iPad 4th Gen because I did not want to be without my favorite device but am discouraged by the fact Apple is NOT commenting on this issue or offering a fix 
I am hoping that this 4th Gen did not come with a 2 year expiration date - for almost $800 bucks it should last until I decide - not until it is completely disabled by a manufacturer defect as in what happened with my 1st Gen
I still expect my 1st Gen to work and need any suggestions in dealing with the issue as (OF COURSE) the device is no longer under warranty

Answer 1

$100 you can buy a replacement screen => http://www.ifixit.com/iPad-Parts/iPad-Wi-Fi-Front-Panel-Assembly/IF180-000?utm_s ource=ifixit_guide&utm_medium=guide_intro&utm_content=required_items&utm_term=ip ad_wi-fi
Then use the guide to swap out the screen => http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+iPad+Wi-Fi+Front+Panel+Assembly/4174/1
I had a similar issue last year when I bought my new Samsung HDTV. There was a strip of discoloration going down the middle of the screen about 3 inches wide. Samsung replaced the screen as there was nothing that could be done to fix it.
I imagine this means the crystals in the screen are somehow damaged. It may not be your fault, they could have just gone bad from bad manufacturing or whatever. There is software for desktop computers that runs through series of tests for attempting to correct issues with an LCD screen, but it would be difficult to run this software on an iPad screen. I doubt there is an app that does anything similar, but you can check the app store or the Cydia market if jailbroken.
Good luck