Will generic lightning cables and the "authentication chip" present in the genuine cables work with iOS 8?

Question

I have an iPad Mini that doesn't charge anymore because the lightning cable stopped working. Since the warranty is over, I can't get a free replacement. I don't really feel like buying a new lightning cable because they're expensive AND STILL fragile. I thought about buying one of those cheaper, generic lightning cables, but some of them are not compatible with iOS 7, and the rest state that they work only with iOS 7. With iOS 8 coming out later this month, I don't think those would work after the update anyway.

Now, I know Apple makes Lightning-to-MicroUSB connectors. I like the idea of that, I have a few Micro-USB cables lying around that are sturdy and NOT fragile, so I could use one of those with the connector. I think this would last me way longer than another lightning cable. My questions are:

1. Why do the generic lightning cables specify iOS version compatibility and why aren't they readily compatible with all iOS versions? Is it because they lack the authentication chip inside?
2. If I buy this adapter - is it guaranteed to work with iOS 8? Is it universally compatible with ALL iOS versions and does it have an authentication chip inside?

Answer 1

For your first question, fake cable manufacturers are probably aiming for lots of sales, and explicitly stating that it only works up to a certain OS version would turn many people away. (the original cable doesn't have a version limit, so this one seems weird, I'm not buying that)

For your second question yes, this adapter has the useless authentication chip/whatever crap in it, and since the micro-USB standard (fortunately) doesn't have any of that nasty stuff you can plug in any cable from any charger and it'll work assuming the charger itself is good.