The open-source Firefox browser has now been downloaded
more than 100 million times since its launch almost a year
ago.
The Mozilla Foundation, which develops the browser, said the
milestone was reached earlier this week. Firefox is now the second
most popular browser after Microsoft’s dominant Internet
Explorer.
Industry estimates give Firefox around 8% of the browser market,
with Internet Explorer accounting for more than 85%.
Firefox was launched in part as a more secure alternative to
Internet Explorer, but security software company Symantec recently
claimed the browser was the subject of more reported security
vulnerabilities than Internet Explorer in the first half of
2005.
But Mozilla says the open-source nature of Firefox allows
threats to be addressed much more quickly than with Internet
Explorer, with a wider community of developers moving to fix
holes.
Many Firefox users also point to better features in the browser
to justify their switch from Internet Explorer and other
alternatives.
Microsoft will next year launch Internet Explorer 7, which is
designed to be more secure against threats such as phishing and
spyware. Firefox 1.5 will be launched next month.