I understand your perspective. But windows 7 is already abandonware. And practically no software supports it (for example substance painter, designer, Maya, Max, Modo, Cinema 4D, Photoshop, Unreal…). If you need a stable environment to work with blender you have linux. And if you need windows except rare exceptions you will be working with old versions of the software. So I see no reason not to work with old versions of blender.
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With linux, the territory comes with drivers support and lack of (Which is the main issue).
As far as not working with older versions of blender, Finally getting “Linking” objects to a more usable state and the addition of asset browsers (In version 3.0) are both time savers, and in the end , time is money.
But beside that, i am satisfied with the answers given so far.
If time is money… use macOS, because you will have both worlds.
May i please have references as to what caused the decision regarding python and what prompt the change to a newer version? (As in, do you have discussions / back and forward with other developers about the issues that prompt the usage of a newer version?)
I am asking only because i am curious, nothing more, I want to study the cause for my own interests.
Thanks, I do recall reading about this as i follow the scheduling and bulletin board.
I was under the impression there was more to it but that answers my questions, Thanks.
For next time it is probably best to gather more information about a subject before concluding that it is “NONSENSE”. LOL
within context, the “NONSENSE” part was on the ease of overcoming this problem with a simple hack, i was saying that a bit more leg-work for a hack-around and it could have worked in an official way.
As far as the issue of hacking-around-the problem, it was addressed , and i meant every word.
That is an incorrect assumption. Take current master and then make all the changes needed to get it to compile on Windows 7 and using the current version of Python. I would wager that it would require more than something considered “simple hack.”
Not to disturb this …whatever it is… but it’s good to keep in mind, what can be hacked around and what we could sanely support, may not always be the same things.
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Indeed, I do believe that i wrote in my original post an edit that i find the developers reasoning and choice to be logical, I didn’t know the scope of the problem (To be honest, i am still unsure off the scope of the problem), Hacking around is indeed a few lines job, But from my understanding, it will cause problems.
(Although i am using a hacked version of blender 3.0, INCLUDING writing python scripts and all is well for me) (Python version in blender , Reported as : 3.9)
The scope of the problem is the rest of the world have moved on from win7 and started to use the newer windows 8+ API calls, that’s not going to stop, blender depends on a good 30ish external libraries. the time you’d have to invest and backporting everything to win7 just isn’t worth the time. If this dll hack is working for you, that’s great, it’s just not something we’d want to ship/support.
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Immediately after the change of Python version, and the new requirement for a new Windows, it was indeed possible to do simple hacks to get it to work. But almost every day since it has diverged more and more. We are able to simplify code by not having to allow compiling for Win7. So for example there were many Windows API functions that we could now link to statically, rather than load dynamically. The changes now are very large and I would not recommend anyone taking their time to attempt it.
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And if you value the ‘bang for your buck’ then don’t use macOS but get a Windows box 
Expecting Blender to support old OS’s like this is a waste of resources better spent elsewhere. Spinning on this thread is wasting developer resources. The decision has been made, as mentioned keep a branch alive if you wish.
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I’m sorry, but that is not correct. Apple Silicon Macs are the best bang for buck, hands down. Windows PCs don’t get competitive until you increase the price point at least twofold, and then you’re also running a machine that spits out tons of heat, and chews up the watts like there’s no tomorrow.
My M1 Mac mini renders in Blender way better than my six year old RX 480 ever did. And now the RX 480 is dropped like a sack of moldy tangerines, because OpenCL support is gone. Good riddance anyway, because in its last throes, it was taking down my entire desktop with GPU crashes every time I attempted even reasonably basic render jobs.
Seriously let’s not get into an Apple war here fan boyz! And please remember what a smiley is meant to indicate, like gentle kidding?
Otherwise I won’t even bother to argue with the idea that ARM > x64. I’ve been developing professionally in A&D on ARM for a decade (think machines worth more than your yearly salary), I know the processor intimately and have worked with the company, so you’re wasting your breath. Hint, there’s a difference between actual processing power and apparent, especially when you compare to a, uh, RX480?
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Let me introduce you to my friend Linux Mint, it is awesome! You can have Windows 7 and use Linux for Blender in dual boot mode.
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By all means, drop $3000 on a GTX 3090, since that is also a cost effective solution. Or a brand new laptop with a GTX 3080M. Since you’ll be rendering stuff, power usage is no object, either. I’m sorry I fanboy’d my $900 on something I find decent. I should have held out forever for when GPUs would drop to those prices again.
Given it’s getting a bit off topic, and there is nothing to be said about win7 support that hasn’t already been said, i’d say we’re done here.
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