Pasco Tech Update: Sparkvue

I am a firm believer in tech--especially with home-schoolers!  I'm experiencing frustrations with my Pasco sensors.  I'm in the middle of developing a science program with a local elementary school.  The school's librarian wants to makeover her media center into a STEM center with a Maker Space.  Cool, right?  So, I brought in my iPad, airlink-2 interface, and motion detector and set it up to demonstrate the Sparkvue labs.  Nothing happened.  Zero.  The Sparkvue app had recently updated.  My iPad-2 is now obsolete.  I bought an iPad-Air 2 and downloaded the Sparkvue app.  Sure enough, the motion detector works!  Aaarrrgggh.  I set up the older iPad-2 again just to check.  Nothing.  Here's my concern.  How many people, schools, Co-ops can afford to update their iPads every few years?  Mine was only two years old.  I contacted Pasco with my concerns.  Pasco does have a device, Spark Element, which interfaces with Spark-link and Air-link and has loads of labs.  But it's $200.  Aaarrrggghh.  What bothers me is that these technology trials deter people from adopting new tech.