Download WordPress 3.2 with a New HTML5 Default Theme and Full-Screen Editor

After several months of work and quite a few test releases, WordPress 3.2 is out. The latest update to the most popular blogging software on the web brings several new features, performance upgrades and a new default theme.

"I’m excited to announce that WordPress 3.2 is now available to the world, both as an update in your dashboard and a download on WordPress.org," WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg announced.

"Version 3.2 is our fifteenth major release of WordPress and comes just four months after 3.1," he added.

WordPress 3.2 was designed to be the fastest release to date and a lot of performance optimization has been done under the hood, in various parts of the suite.

"The focus for this release was making WordPress faster and lighter. The first thing you’ll notice when you log in to 3.2 is a refreshed dashboard design that tightens the typography, design, and code behind the admin," Mullenweg explained.

The new dashboard is already available on WordPress.com. It's an update of the existing one, but not a complete revamp. The aim was to make it a bit lighter and roomier, to fit more elements without feeling crowded.

WordPress 3.2 also marks the debut of Twenty Eleven, the new default theme for WordPress blogs, built to take full advantage of HTML5 and its friends.

One of the most touted new features is the new distraction-free, full-screen editor which enables you to focus completely on the writing.

"All of the widgets, menus, buttons, and interface elements fade away to allow you to compose and edit your thoughts in a completely clean environment conducive to writing," Wordpress detailed.

WordPress 3.2 also introduces new minimum requirements. On the server front, the latest WordPress release needs at least PHP 5.2.4 and MySQL 5. The dashboard also drops support for Internet Explorer 6 and notifies users if they are running an out-of-date browser.

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