No, one does not have to adapt gradually. It is no harder to switch from
2.95 to 4.1.2 than it is to switch from 2.95 to 3.3. Either way, you'll
have to get out a C++ book, learn C++, and recode your code in actual C++.
There will be some cases where going to 3.3 will require fewer changes,
but the majority of the work is going to have to be done anyway. And
4.1.x is much closer to what the textbooks say C++ is than 3.3 is. Why
add to your pain? Furthermore, if you find that your progress is hampered
by a bug in 3.3.x, no one is going to be interested in fixing it.