- #1: New Themes
- #2: Lighter Workflow
- #3: Improved Installation and Update Procedures
- #4: Smarter Defaults
- #5: Easier, More-Flexible Content
- #6: Fields in Core
- #7: Easier Programming
- #8: Less Cruft
- #9: Better Control of User Permissions
- #10: "Edit Links on Everything"
- And, And, And
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#3: Improved Installation and Update Procedures
I believe Drupal would have a much bigger user base if new users' first installation went more smoothly. Drupal 7 doesn't remove all obstacles—you still have to manually create the MySQL database and settings.php file—but at least it makes the process friendlier. First, the installer has some nice touches that make it more foolproof, such as a password checker that encourages you to create strong passwords. Second, help texts during installation are a lot more, well, helpful.
Once you've installed Drupal, you have to keep your Drupal extensions (called modules) updated against obsolescence and security risks. Sadly, many beginning Drupal administrators don't because the current process (once again) requires going onto the server and fiddling around. But no more! With Drupal 7, you can now install Drupal extensions through Drupal's web-based interface, as shown in Figure 3. (Thank the developers of Drupal 7's "Plugin Manager" for that.)
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Figure 3 Installing modules in Drupal 7: No *nix knowledge required.
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