Two things. First, have you tried copying your SD card to a mini SD card and seeing if you can read it in your PE? To do things like that I use a USB multi card reader.

I have just copied the SD card from my EE to a micro SD them put said micro into an adapter and put it in the EE which reads it without problems - OK not quite your situation but it does prove the copy procedure works,

Second, and I must admit I have a curiosity factor in this, if you have definitely decided NOT to have your EE repaired is there any chance you might do an 'iFixit' type breakdown? I want to see what is inside and am loath to open my working one just in case, in fact if I was in the US I would make an offer on broken machine just to be able to take it apart.

You might also find the iFixit opening of the iPad2 interesting http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPad-...eardown/5071/1 if only for showing how the cables are connected.