Until now, the majority of the ecommerce community has been using Magento 1.x and has given it completed support and coverage. Many users have called it the leading solution of the ecommerce world, which has been on the scene for almost five years and has seen over 4 million downloads. Now, that Magento 2.0 has been announced, it has stirred quite a debate about what improvements it has over its predecessor 1.x. Let us study some of the key differences here.
On the technical side, Magento 1.x uses quite a few technologies such as Sass/Compass. However, it uses jQuery in the RWD package only, along with prototype Javascript library in the core. It also makes use of additional Javascript libraries as well.
On the contrary, Magento 2.0 utilizes HTML5 and CSS with RequireJS and Apache 2.2 or later. Magento 2.0 works with PHP 5.5.x along with PHP 5.4.11. The database is MySQL 5.6 and it is also PSR compliant. Other good things about Magento 2.0 is that it will come with full page caching and a Magento performance toolkit. Also included are a Magento UI library, while the install needs components via the composer.
Magento 2.0 goes in for a complete over haul of the user experience by prioritizing the merchant experience. It represents a complete and new approach to the admin interface, because it is focused on creating a quality experience for non technical users.
In a nutshell, its all about a compete new look and feel. With a modern flat design, the user has to go in for fewer clicks and also get improved visibility with better accessibility. The design is tablet friendly, and there are larger click and targets. The hover states have been removed. Magento 2.0 is also easier to use on a wider variety of screens such as touchscreen laptops, iPad, surfaces and 9″ android tablets.
What this all means is that in the earlier versions of the Magento, the database was the weak link in the entire equation. Herein, users were stuck with one single database – the mySQL database. However, with Magento 2.0, a standalone database for order management and checkout is possible. The front end of your site’s content, products as well as categories can be served out of a single mySQL database. However when a user wants to check out on the site, the checkout page can use a secondary or a standalone database.
Magento 2.0 is faster by approximately 25% for end users who browse the site. Its 52% faster adding products to the cart than the current 1.x platform. Also, with Magento 2.0, it is possible to add support 10 million catalog page views per hour. With the Magento 1.9 or the Magento 1.14 platform, this was just 500,000 page views, assuming that the hardware will be same.
Magento 2.0 uses an improved Checkout process in Magento 2.0. There are many simplfied checkout extensions for Magento that have been created in the past and many of them actually make the checkout process worse. However Magento takes a look at the checkout process once again. It assumes that someone wants to checkout and make a purchase.
Magento 2.0 features better product creation, so there are a fewer templates that have a new standard product template. This template is virtual, configurable, and downloadable. Configuration is created via attributes, which means that the bulk editing is done via attributes that include pricing, inventory, and images. There are better sub process wizards and with forms, it is possible to create new form element types that are easier to read.
Therefore, Magento 2.0 is aimed to be a better and more efficient product than its predecessor versions 1.x. Once the product is introduced for GA, there will be more reviews about it and whether it will meet the expectations of ecommerce merchants will be a matter of interesting debate.
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Shivi Rao is a content marketer with Krish. She has worked in various industries spanning technology, science, rural marketing, startups & unicorns, eCommerce business, and digital marketing, believing that content is the foundation to facilitate the visibility of any organization and ensuring her words do the same. In her free time, you can either find her lifting weights in the gym or feeding the strays.
16 April, 2024 There’s some great news for Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce users. Magento is here with Magento Open Source version 2.4.7. It is a significant update that comes with a compelling mix of security improvements, performance optimizations, and exciting new features. Upgrading to this version is highly recommended to ensure the security, performance, and functionality of your Magento store.
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