Yup, it's been discussed a lot. Discussed in a bunch of forums us techie guys love to read. So everyone who knows are those that should know. ..Oh wait! Hmmm, what of the average user? Those who dont CARE to read tech forums like we do?
I understand our points that it is well documented in the forums and in some tech specific outlets, but the average user doesn't read these. Designers, movie editors, the flower shop owner don't care because they only use a Mac as a tool to run their business. Some have invested countless hours developing on those legacy applications/programs. Some people don't find easy just dumping their old application with perhaps thousands of files they have developed through the years.
Many have a Mac simply because they find it easier than using the complicated and ever changing Windows. Not that they are loyal to the Apple brand, it is simply because that "thing" runs my favorite application better than Windows or that "thing" runs the application that Windows doesn't. Many don't have the budget to buy whatever is out there that replaces their legacy program, they don't have the time to convert or the know how to relearn something different and apply it to their business.
On the other hand, I also understand that the company that developed the application would provide an upgrade for Lion compatibility. That is not true on all the cases. For example, one of my customers (and no I don't provide PC consulting only IBM Systems) uses Corel draw, he has hundreds and hundreds of files and now they don't work and Corel is no longer supporting CorelDraw for Mac nor will they provide a fix. Second example, I have a friend that uses EffectsLab Pro. FXHome will not rewrite their application because they say and I quote "sales are not good on the Apple platform to put resources (programmers) on it and they will concentrate on their Windows customers". -dead end.
Even though WE KNEW Lion was not going to support PowerPC, the average user did not. Actually, that information should be clearly specified in the product info when buying Lion. It's not explicitly expressed, anywhere in there. And I'm talking about a CLEAR statement like "PowerPC applications are NOT supported in Lion" or "Some of your applications will NOT be compatible with Lion" with a link to a page with Applications found so far during the developer and UAT period. All it says is: "Some features require apps developed to work with Lion". From and average user's perspective it says nothing. It says "some features", not that the whole application will not run.
I dislike Windows with all my heart, I honestly do. I work with IBM Systems and lots of client side apps run on Windows. But one thing I still find interesting... some of the IBM shops I support still have crazy old DOS programs running on the new Windows Server...