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The situation as I understand it is this:
Sellers can run a version of the server software that supports new and old types of DRM. ADE 3.0 and above can deal with new and old type files. ADE 2.0 can only deal with the old type. Only the old type can be stripped of DRM (at the moment).
Sellers can choose in their server settings to support old, new or both types of files. I don't think anyone is supporting only new. Let's say there's a seller that supports both and you buy an ebook from them.
If you're running 2.0 and open the ascm file it will connect to the server, check the authorisation and send you an old style file.
If you're running 3.0+ and do the same it will send you a new style file. One you can't strip DRM from. Not only that but it remembers you have a newer client and if you later try to use 2.0 it will refuse to send you the old style file.
What's happening at the moment is that most sellers haven't switched on support for the new DRM and so even if you connect with 3.0+ you get an old-style file that can be de-DRM-ed. But it's a risk. Sellers can turn that on at the flick of a switch.
The risk on the other side is that sellers could decide to switch off support for old style files and force people to upgrade. That's probably unlikely for a while. Because we're not only talking about computers with ADE installed we're talking about devices, like Kobo, where the firmware has to support the new DRM. Or 3rd party apps for phones and tablets. If there's no new firmware for your device, or no new version of your favourite app then you'd be screwed if an ebook store switched off the old DRM. Which is to say, they'd lose a customer.
So there is a chance that by using ADE 3.0 you could not be able to strip the DRM. There's a smaller (IMHO) chance that you could not be able to download the file. So a lot of people don't want to upgrade beyond ADE 2.0.
Of course none of this matters unless you want to strip the DRM.
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