I have also been moving towards Kicad. (Amusingly enough, I was also bitten by the Apple eMagic/Logic buyout).
Unfortunately, the way technology moves on, the only way to really ensure this is to commit to it as an active process.
Much like backing up your data, it has to be an ongoing and active maintenance process. This takes time and effort and incurs risk and disruption (changing formats and software).
I understand how the person in the original post got themselves into this problem, and I don't blame them. But with the benefit of hindsight one can see the lesson. For data to be durable over time, it has to be in the most compatible formats or the most general formats which allow them to be economically (wrt time/effort/money) moved to other systems.
With OSS and open formats you have a fighting chance, but even then the ultimate cost can be having to maintain the software yourself which for most people who are using design software isn't likely their main goal.
Unfortunately, the way technology moves on, the only way to really ensure this is to commit to it as an active process. Much like backing up your data, it has to be an ongoing and active maintenance process. This takes time and effort and incurs risk and disruption (changing formats and software).
I understand how the person in the original post got themselves into this problem, and I don't blame them. But with the benefit of hindsight one can see the lesson. For data to be durable over time, it has to be in the most compatible formats or the most general formats which allow them to be economically (wrt time/effort/money) moved to other systems.
With OSS and open formats you have a fighting chance, but even then the ultimate cost can be having to maintain the software yourself which for most people who are using design software isn't likely their main goal.