Rosetta and Mac Classic Support Disappointment (please excuse my rant)

Question

As a MAC user since 1984, I am very disappointed in the disappearance of Rosetta.  I am actually still upset that the Classic OS became missing in Tiger.  In contrast, great effort has been made by Apple to support PC users.  How about putting a little bit of that effort toward people that supported Apple all through Mac history?  
We have plenty of applications and data files that can only be used with older applications - and the path to that data is severed.  There are older applications that have no upgrade path, are no longer produced or were nifty freeware or purchased shareware programs that still have value.  Replacing that functionality might be found, but at significant cost.  Data in proprietary formats are locked into the programs that no longer can run.
So - OK - we can hang on to our old OS for now, but soon new versions of applications will require the newer OS and we will have to once again choose what doesn't make the cut, ultimately losing capability we once had or becoming forced to spend a lot to buy or upgrade to new software to hold ground.
I seriously wish that Apple would reconsider support for Rosetta and even the Classic OS.  We can boot Linux or Windows using VMWare or Fusion - but cannot reach PPC applications or Classic applications.  Even fonts that were purchased may no longer work if they are the wrong kind, and there needs to be a better, OS included utility to sort the font business out on upgrading.
I probably posted a similar message at the time of the 68030/68000 switch to PPC as many of my programs were retired abruptly. I have had to replace SCSI external devices with Firewire, and then live in fear of a disappearance of Firewire. Now I have to keep a bone yard of computers alive in my basement to protect from losing contact with past work.
Apple: Please support past customers.
If anyone has found a way to install earlier OS X versions in a virtual machine, or run Classic, let me know. Maybe I am just not well informed.  For now I will have to avoid the new OS - Lion.

Answer 1

Thanks for the link to SheepShaver - I will definitely check that out.   I have moved zip disk data to hard disks and DVDs, and have moved some of the floppies, however, that is only one piece of the puzzle.   I can't tell you how many times I have opened up a file to find that it an older version of PowerPoint that Microsoft doesn't support any longer (yes, Apple is not alone in stranding users actually doing work) or finding an old MacDraw or other program that cannot be opened or transformed to something that will open it.  That event is usually followed by pondering on how long is it going to take to resurect the old system to view the data versus simply recreating it with new tools, hoping my memory is good enough.  Usually the dive into the old pile is because the memory needs the refresh!    
I have already discarded several 9-track tapes that were stored, and 1/4 tape carts, and even those tiny HP tape cartridges from the old smart terminals since it has been years since I had anything that would read those.  I am getting close to discarding stored floppies also - -  If I haven't visited those floppies in a while, then there probably isn't anything there I truly need. - -  That is not the main issue.  --  I am nervous about the future of Firewire due to investment in my music hardware that depends on firewire, but it is not so much the hardware updates that bother me, (I really don't miss my paper tape punch and reader!), but it is the loss of recent, still viable applications that did not make the leap from PPC to Intel that are now falling off the map that hurt the most.   Half of those can be "re-bought" and upgraded to Intel versions by shelling out cash, while others are simply retired and totally unavailable.   If I had Tiger on an external HD to make use of PPC apps and Classic Apps, that would be great.  Since Tiger was on my PPC Mac I doubt that hard disk would boot on an Intel Mac for lack of specific hardware drivers.    For now I am ok with using my old Mac networked with my new one.
It just seems too easy for manufactuers to eliminate things we have come to depend on - such as Microsoft's removal of Visual Basic support from Microsoft products - and then - In 2011 Visual Basic was reinstated in Mac Excell and Word.   I have had to say good by to MacDraw, and now AppleWorks, and even QuickTimePro.   But we have also seen features leave Apple iMovie and then return - so I do believe users should voice their opinion when something like Rosetta and Classic turns up missing!      Maybe they will come back.
Thanks for the discussion and ideas.