Designer: Darrenhoyt
Theme version: 3.0
Mimbo theme Review
Mimbo is a theme available for download on the website themegrade.com. For a blogger, a well designed page is very important as it can determine the blogger’s page rank. A good theme ensures that the page is attractive. A well designed theme also makes it more convenient for the blogger as well as the reader. The Mimbo theme is part of the Wordpress application, which is used for managing the content of the page. It is mainly used in the blogging circles. Mimbo has been amongst the most downloaded and most popular Wordpress themes since it was introduced in the year 2008.
Mimbo has been designed by Darren Hoyt. The Mimbo theme was released first as a 2.0 version, but has been upgraded to the 3.0 version. The Mimbo theme requires a Wordpress version of at least 2.3, but users of earlier editions will encounter problems while installing the Mimbo theme.
The Mimbo theme has gone through extensive testing at themegrade.com. It has been tested on the Wordpress version of 2.8.6. The Mimbo theme has been tested on the basis of its SEO (Search Engine Compatibility) and a standard general test. The Mimbo theme has scored well in both the areas. It scores a 69% in the general test and a 72% in the SEO test with an overall score of 71%. This means it qualifies for a bronze medal rating.
The general test takes into account many qualifiers. One of the most important aspects of this test is the browser compatibility test. Mimbo passes with flying colors here. Mimbo is compatible with the top browsers operating today like the IE7 and Firefox. The Mimbo scores well with most of the standard content a theme incorporates like nested and threaded comments and image alignment. A drawback for the Mimbo theme is that it is not CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) compliant, but works well within XHTML (a hypertext language). Another major drawback is that there is no support from the designer. But as this is a completely free theme, this detail can well be ignored.
One of the most major drawbacks of the Mimbo theme is that it is not newbie friendly. People without a Wordpress or HTML language background will have a hard time with the theme. This is mainly because before installation the user has to tinker around with the codes and files. But the Mimbo theme can work great with a little help from someone well versed in these matters. Customization on Mimbo will be of no hassle to beginners and pros alike.
On the looks front, Mimbo is very well designed. It is easy to use, well spaced out and is perfect for magazines or newspapers. Blog pages will look good with the Mimbo. The layout is grid based, and consists of minimum images. Mimbo is also widget ready as of now, which is a great advantage in its favor.
Mimbo is a very good free wordpress application. It receives top marks in almost all the areas a good theme is known by. Mimbo is a great choice for bloggers and readers will be attracted to the great design and layout provided by Mimbo.
Theme Score
General : 69%SEO : 72%
Overall : 71%
Category
| no. | General Test Item | Point | Pass | Fail |
| 1 | W3C Compliant - XHTML | 2 |  | |
| 2 | W3C Compliant - CSS | 2 |  | |
| 3 | Browser Compatibility - IE7 | 1 | | |
| 4 | Browser Compatibility - Firefox | 2 | | |
| 5 | Browser Compatibility - Chrome | 1 | | |
| 6 | Support from Designer | 2 | | |
| 7 | Post area - Proper Image Alignment | 1 | | |
| 8 | Post area - Floating Content | 1 | | |
| 9 | Post area - Auto Adjustment | 1 | | |
| 10 | Post area - Nested/Threaded Comments | 1 | | |
| 11 | Sidebar - Auto Adjustment | 1 | | |
| 12 | Sidebar - Link Hierarchy | 1 | | |
| 13 | Special Effect: Drop Down Menu, Magazine Style, Grid Style | 3 | | |
| Total | 19 pts | 13 pts | ||
| Theme Score | 69% | |||
| no. | SEO Test Item | Point | Pass | Fail |
| 1 | W3C Compliant - XHTML | 1 | | |
| 2 | W3C Compliant - CSS | 1 | | |
| 3 | Home page Heading SEO | 1 | | |
| 4 | Post & Page Heading SEO | 1 | | |
| 5 | Post & Page Title Tag (Title as seen in SERPs) | 1 | | |
| 6 | Content Code Position | 2 | | |
| Total | 7 pts | 5 pts | ||
| Theme Score | 72% | |||
For the details of each of the tested criteria above, click here
Tested on: Wordpress ver 2.8.6Preview on: Wordpress ver 3.0.1 (Strict Test)
Why are there 2 Wordpress vers?
Theme testing in such detail is a tedious process. We try our very best to present the most accurate information about the theme.
We need your help: if you find a discrepancy in any of the items we tested above, please leave a comment below and tell us what is wrong. We'll look into it and make correction if it is our mistake.
If you are a user of this theme, feel free to leave a comment and share with us your experience with the theme.
