WordPress 3.3 Released; iPad Optimization & More
After 14 million downloads of WordPress 3.2, WordPress 3.3 is being released to the wild today. Codenamed “Sonny” in honor of the jazz saxophonist Sonny Stitt, WordPress 3.3 is available for download or update inside your WordPress dashboard.
WordPress, which had over 65 million downloads since version 3.0 was released, has a number of excellent new features.
The media uploader has also been much improved with a drag-and-drop image uploader. A new menu feature allows users to hover over menus for navigation. There is improved co-editing notifications and support. And WordPress 3.3 now comes with a Tumblr importer and is optimized for the iPad.
For Users
Experienced users will appreciate the new drag-and-drop uploader, hover menus for the navigation, the new toolbar, improved co-editing support, and the new Tumblr importer. We’ve also been thinking a ton about what the WordPress experience is like for people completely new to the software. Version 3.3 has significant improvements there with pointer tips for new features included in each update, a friendly welcome message for first-time users, and revamped help tabs throughout the interface. Finally they’ve improved the dashboard experience on the iPad and other tablets with better touch support.
For Developers
There is heaps for developers also. I would recommend starting your exploration with the new editor API, new jQuery version, better ways to hook into the help screens, more performant post-slug-only permalinks, and of course the entire list of improvements on the Codex and in Trac.
