September 7, 2007 10:29 AM PDT

Firefox passes 400 million downloads

Firefox just passed the 400 million download mark, according to the Spread Firefox site for promoting the open-source, extendable Web browser.

That number shouldn't be confused with actual installations, Mozilla's public relations folks rightly caution. (I'm sure I've downloaded it at least a dozen times this year, and I'm only using copies on three computers at present. On the flip side, there are any number of other ways to get Firefox, including Linux installations.) Nevertheless, 400 million is an achievement worth noting, given that just a few years ago it looked like Microsoft had the market locked up with Internet Explorer.

However, not everything is going swimmingly in Firefox land. Mozilla had hoped to release a Firefox 3 "Gran Paradiso" beta in July. Instead, Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice president of engineering, now says it's due "this fall."

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 3 comments
Always a BS number
by cchenoweth6 September 7, 2007 11:33 AM PDT
I have downloaded it over 10 times myself. I use it about 5% of the time. I liked it better than IE6.. but IE7 is fine for me.
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About Underexposed

This blog sheds light on digital photography, science, and open-source software. Shankland joined CNET News in 1998, after a five-year stint as a science writer. He's a lab rat who grew up in Los Alamos, N.M., and graduated from Harvard.

Contact Stephen at Stephen.Shankland@cnet.com

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