Joomla 1.6 has also improved creating and managing content inside the system. One small, but very nice feature, especially for those users who create lots of content, is the addition of a "Save & New" button, which lets a creator save a piece of content and immediately jump to creating new content. A new Flash-based Media Manager also eases the task of uploading and managing images on a site.
On the developer and Webmaster side, Joomla 1.6 also includes several improvements that should ease site management and improve user experiences. The system now makes it possible to better control 404 errors on sites, letting admins send visitors to a valuable content page (such as a site map or a "related content" page) as opposed to just an error page.
Templates and template management have also been updated in Joomla 1.6. One of my favorite new features makes it possible to assign default templates to site managers, useful for controlling how different departments and groups create content.
Extension and plugin management has also seen some improvements, and, as in the case with competing systems such as WordPress, Joomla extension developers will now be able to provide the option to automatically update or notify users of updates of their extensions.
Installation and set-up of Joomla 1.6 is straightforward, however, upgraders should keep in mind that this version has seen some significant changes in the underlying engines. A straight in-place upgrade could be a complex task, especially if you have lots of older, and highly customized, content. Probably the best plan would be to set-up a Joomla 1.6 set-up in parallel with your old site to make sure that everything is working as expected before making the switch.
To try out the new Joomla 1.6, go to http://www.joomla.org/.
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