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With all due respect,

Here are some observations about your comment (please do not take offense).

1) "custom written Visual Basic apps"
2) "IE specific web applications"

possible soloutions posed:
1) "Running an App in VMWare or with WINE/Crossover office would still require the testing effort."
2) "Imagine that cost! It takes them years just to roll out new versions of windows. "

"What is the solution to this?"
Dont code in a proprietary language. I know its a little late now. However, a basic rule, if you use custom app's made by custom programming launguages, you asking for trouble. It was and is the job of the programmers to make applications portable (if requested).

Disclaimer: I am not a programmer, however, I have to deal with various cross platform issues in networking. Does product A by vendor A interoperate with product B with vendor B. Now granted, each vendor has nice little toys to make the network folks job easier. Now by going down that path with proprietary tools and toys makes adding new equipment quite difficult (IE network management software). By going with standard protocols and not using custome vendor tools, adding new technology becomes a tad bit easier. Your not tied into 1 person/company. Vendor A gives you a difficult time, switch to vendor b or c or d. There is a lot to be said for vendor lock-in and not being locked-in. Most companies and people dont consider lock-in, until it happens to themselves. Once your in, you in and its not pretty trying to get out of the whole that was dug. For the last 10 years, I have continually tried to avoid being to any one company and to a good extent, it has worked. What to do after the fact? Sorry, cannot help you there. Modular is better than custom, any day of the week (IMHO). Replacement parts are cheaper and easier to obtain (U.S. Industrial age humor).

"It would be nice if all applications were written in cross-platform a language or toolkit, or if web applications supported other browsers, but that isn't the case. "

There were cross platform languages, it was the programmers/companies/gov choice not to use them.

Once again, vendor lock-in, no matter where it comes from or what industry, show be avoided at all costs. What happens if your vendor goes out of business or refuses to support product X at this set date and time.