Will Newer Versions of InDesign Still Open/Convert Mac PM 6.5 Files?

Question

All right, you've convinced me. I can see that holding on to old technology is not a viable long-term solution regarding PageMaker vs. InDesign. Eventually my old PowerMac Quad will fail and not be able to be repaired. At that point I would be forced into an Intel Mac and new software. I have a ton of PageMaker 6.0 and 6.5 files and will need to convert them to a new version of InDesign. I realize PM6 files will not work with InDesign, that I have to do the initial conversion via PM6.5.
I've studied the PageMaker forum hoping to see if this specific question has been advanced and answered but saw none. If in fact it has been addressed please understand that at least I did try before writing this.
My question is this: Will all versions of InDesign IE: CS1, CS2, CS3, CS4 or CS5 open PageMaker 6.5 files? Or will I have to go back to InDesign 2.0, copy/convert all the PM6.5 files and then begin the upgrade process? Surely (and hopefully) Adobe provides a direct upgrade path to the newest InDesign version once you have all PageMaker 6.5 files, rather than making you upgrade to each version individually. If Adobe provides a direct upgrade to the latest InDesign product will this policy be true throughout it's product line? I also have older versions of PhotoShop, Illustrator and Acrobat to be concerned with. (I know, I know... the last couple of sentences are not about PageMaker-sorry)
If anyone can answer this, please let me know so I can plan accordingly. Begrudgingly, I will probably begin the transition to InDesign soon. Looks like I'm in for a long, long study period to get up-to-speed. Bye-bye PageMaker, bye-bye PowerMac, so sad to see you go.

Answer 1

Chuck, I am not very qualified t
o answer your questions, but will do my best within my limi
tations (I am still using InDesign CS3, and I haven't had to work with PageMaker files for years).
I did open many PM 6.5 files with ID2, and I have just opened a couple in ID3. These two last were rather simple jobs, and opened without a hitch. When I had to open PM files with ID2, I remember some opened flawlessly, most with relatively minor glitches, and some required a lot of work to look the same than the originals. And yes, each version of ID that I have used opens PM files directly; no need to pass from older to newer versions.
Another thing I remember is that I also had a great number of PM files, which I still keep, but the ones that I have really had (needed) to convert are just a small fraction of them. Maybe you'll live a similar experience.
As for the learning curve, it surely is there; but in my case, I found it not at all steep, quite the contrary: I was surprised to find how fast I got used to the "new version" of PageMaker. Maybe if I did the move now (to version CS5) I wouldn't find the transition so easy as to ID2. And I know of people who have not found it easy, but don't seem to reacall anyone complaining of how very difficult it was for him/her.
As for upgrading several products at the same time, you'll have to think carefully what your future needs are really likely to be. You see, Adobe offers a very attractive price for "the whole lot", what they call the Creative Suite. I have however heard many complaints of people who feel they were "trapped" when they followed that route, because when it comes to upgrades, they can only upgrade the whole suite, not each product at a time. So you may be stuck with upgrading products you don't use and think will never use. Sort of what happened with Word and Excel, wich were the basis of MS Office: I understand that nowadays you cannot even buy each product separately, although I may be wrong.
If I were you, most probably I would upgrade at this time each product separately, keeping in mind that perhaps later it could be better for me to buy the Suite. And regarding this route: Adobe still offers a very convenient upgrade price from PageMaker to InDesign (no choice but the latest version), but nobody knows for how long they will keep this offer. I was one of those who though that when V5 was launched, Adobe would stop selling PageMaker (something that in my opinion they should have done when InDesign appeared), and the upgrade offer would end, but apparently I was wrong on both counts. Just be warned that this particular upgrade offer may be gone any day...
As for parting with such old and faithful friends, part of the words of a song my grandmother used to sing when I was a child came immediately back to my mind: Un viejo amor no se olvida ni se deja... an old love is never (really) forgotten or abandoned in my free translation, where I use the word "love" with the meaning of "loved person", and the optional "really" I added comes form the rest of the words of the song.
Hope this helps.
Initial extra line breaks kindly provided by the software.