So, In this little video rick says to use version 3.0 or later. While there is nothing wrong with that, I use steam version as it auto updates. I will also note that it does not auto save your preferences (settings/config/setup) or projects. Its also a great way to see how much time you have spent in blender (if you like that sort of thing). I am open to others thoughts on this.
Blender on steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/365670/Blender
I do not like software to auto update most of the time.
With something like Blender or similar, updating to new versions hits new bugs as new releases usually come with a bug fix soon after as the .1 version.
Plus I always use the portable versions. Just unzip and run.
I second that. I used the Steam version for a while but it was driving me nuts how with every tiny version update it would reset all my settings or fk something up. It’s better to stick to one version until you know it’s worth updating, like if there is some big new feature or rendering algorithm.
Another bonus of using portable versions is that you can have two of them on your system completely independent. I use that to have one “instance” for opening .blend files and another for .blend1 backup files.
I use Resource Hacker to change the icon of the 2nd blender executable, it makes it easier to work with.
You can also keep old blender versions for old projects which could break when opened in a newer version.
I never have had issues with bugs or blender dropping my config, if if did for some reason there is always a button thats labled “reload x.x config” and that reloads the lot to what I had. Its always good to have a backup of your config and startup file in case something breaks or dies, In my case thats handy as i jump between a desktop and laptop with blender. Good to know i always have the latest features and don’t have to mess about with updating 2 copies.