Absurdity of Pages documents being 'too old'

Question

I understand the need for obsolescence -- whether planned or necessary -- and I'm even willing to buy again new versions of software that were perfectly good the way they were. Progress and all.
But to have my brand-new, beautiful iMac tell me that my Pages documents from 2011 are 'too old' and can't be read anymore by the iMac's Pages is simply absurd.
And the solutions offered -- OSX 9.2 users should open the 'too old' documents in Preview and cut-and-paste; or save them in Pages 9 first (although Pages 9 can't be found or downloaded anymore); or buy from a third party vendor a copy of Pages 9!! -- just seem ludicrous and unacceptable workarounds.
This isn't even treated like a 'known issue.'  At which Cupertino meeting did someone say 'but the new Pages won't recognize old Pages documents,' and someone higher up responded, 'that will be fine.'  Really??
Again, I understand we don't live in an eight-track world anymore and the roads must roll, but for all the games and gestures, the fact remains that words, text and writing remain fundamental to the computing experience.  To think that long manuscripts, detailed memos, form letters, and all manners of written history on Pages can no longer be accessed because they are 'too old' is completely unacceptable.
Sadly, programmers too often treat text like an 'object' -- something to be picked up and moved, rather than a living, breathing piece of digital 'code' that can be shaped and reshaped by the writer within the object itself.
Apple is not the only culprit: The new Microsoft Office can't read Pages either, as this insane format and upgrade war rages on.
So yes, I know there are ways around this ridiculous situation, but how does it exist to begin with?  How can Apple's Support Forum staff reply with the suggestion we go to Amazon and buy Pages 9 there??
Yes, upgrading to a new computer or operating system often means discarding older, comfortable programs. (I will miss the older 'Power PC' software, but progress is progress).  But text -- the written word -- is the most basic software that is. How could a new version of Pages not 'recognize' older versions of Pages?
It is ridiculous and an affront to millions of Apple users who stick with the company -- this is my fifth major Apple computer, not counting our iPads, iPhones and such -- but the trust I've built up with the company has never been so shaken.  How could this not be fixed, or even recognized as a problem?
david

Answer 1

How can Apple's Support Forum staff reply with the suggestion
Did you contact Apple support directly? Just as an FYI, these forums are user to user only - we're just fellow users volunteering our time here.
As for Pages: when I installed the new Pages version, my older version remained intact. I have two separate versions installed; I found that the default was to open anything with the new version which I changed in the Ger Info window (back to the old one). I also found that the new version lacks several functionalities, so I am ignoring it. I will keep using the older version. Unfortunately, if you have a brand new Mac, you do not have the older version installed - how about using your iWork install DVD from your previous Mac to install the older version?