Yes, there is a learning curve to EQ7. If you're not willing to put in the time to understand even the basics, it will be of little use to you.
The thing I like best about it is that it permits you to scan fabrics you already own and plug them into a layout to get a sense of things before cutting into your good fabric.
It's also good for resizing a pattern and allowing you to check yardage.
The one thing that's frustrating is when I'm working on a custom layout. Resizing things is cumbersome (or maybe I've not dug deeply enough into the manual to learn what, if anything, I'm doing wrong. Still, the custom option is valuable--when you need it, it's there.
If you're ready to start designing your own quilts or wish to draw your own blocks or modify a pattern you already have, I would say go for it and make the purchase without waiting for EQ8. Upgrades are fairly inexpensive and not even all that necessary. I've heard nothing about version 8 as the company just released EQ7 for the Mac. I would think they're a little tied up with that at the moment.
I can't tell you from whom to purchase the software, but you can buy it directly from the company if you don't want to wait.
Good luck with your decision!