Why Why Why didn't i get warned about some of my super used all the time programs not working with Lion? I am so sad. What can i do about it besides buying upgrades for all the programs??

Question

I am so upset because i didn't research enough before upgrading to Lion. I can't use a lot of my pograms i used all the time now. I want to go back to where i was before Lion. Is there a way to do it without costing me more money?

Answer 1

I didn't say the price was necessarily a drawback; just thought I'd throw my two cents in if the OP didn't want to purchase more software (as he/she alluded to in the first post).  Even if it's a small cost (in your opinion), the OP said they didn't want to spend any more money.  I didn't think about buying it on ebay; but that's a good idea.  Just keep in mind that the Parallels free phone support is only good for the first few months after purchasing a new copy, so if you're buying a used copy, you won't get free phone tech support.  I think they have per-incident support once the free period is over, though.  And they probably have forums you can use to troubleshoot any issues.
Parallels can also cause a slow/laggy OS, which could be seen as a drawback.  Of course, you could always purchase more RAM if the computer does lag, but there's another cost.  I'm sure it doesn't happen to everyone, but it can happen, that I've seen.  Especially if the computer you install it on is an older one that barely meets the Lion system requirements to begin with.
I agree with you; I purchase hardware and software for the future.  If my new iMac won't run software from 2004-2008, I guess I'm upgrading.  I understand when people don't want to upgrade, but after so many years, it's not really a choice. 
I prefer the dual-boot method; it's cleaner (in my experience) than a virtual machine software program, and causes fewer issues with the main OS installation.  It's really just preference, though.  The OP can try both ways and decide which is preferable for him/her.
What I posted was (as I said in my first post) just my suggestion.  I wasn't trying to override what you said about Parallels being the answer; just adding a new answer that I didn't yet see in this thread, in case the OP wanted an alternative.  Maybe I mis-read the defensive attitude in your post, and if so, I apologize.  But you seemed to be defending something that I wasn't truly even attacking to begin with.  I feel that the best choices are the most informed ones, and with more options, the OP can find the best answer for him/her.
Have a nice day!