Thank you. That is the first cogent explanation I have received with one minor hedge - the last phrase- “unless you use Pages”. I don’t understand that. Let me bore you with details.
My MacBook is currently running Mojave OS. When I prepare a new document on my MacBook Air I prepare it using Pages or Numbers as the case may be. When I am finished, I export the document to Word or Excel and that is what I retain (on my external drive or on my Mac). I do NOT save a Pages or Numbers version. Subsequently, if I want to edit the document, I open it on my Mac, edit it and again export it to Word or Excel and retain it but do not retain a Pages or Numbers document. Good practice; bad practice? I don't know but that’s what I have done for years.
Thus, I have a whole library of Word and Excel documents to which I need continued access. I have spoken to three different Apple Cares advisers in recent months about this issue. Two of them have said exactly the same thing: If I convert from Mohave to Catalina I will no longer be able to open those “older” documents UNLESS I also update (i.e., buy) to new Word and Excel programs. They attributed their answer to the 32/64 bit issue stating that Catalina would not open older/32 bit documents and, therefore, new 64 bit Word and Excel programs were needed to update the older/32 bit documents to 64 bits so that Catalina could open them. (The third Apple Care rep said: “Maybe, maybe not; could be; not sure; and don’t have any real idea” all in the same conversation.)
If I understand your response, you believe I can update to Catalina and I will have the same ready access to all of my current 32 bit Word and Excel docs without having to acquire updated Word or Excel software.
Do I understand correctly?
Many thanks for your patience and help.