Thanks to security concerns, the Firefox and Mozilla Web browsers have been winning the download war over Microsoft's dominant but shaky Internet Explorer during the past nine months. In fact, through mid-September, some 160,000 users have downloaded Firefox 1.0, just out of the beta phase of its development by the Mozilla Foundation, the same group that once created Netscape.

One Mozilla spokesperson pointed to a large jump in interest and downloads in Firefox in early summer when security holes were found in Internet Explorer that hasn't abated since. Four months ago, a number of aggressive advertisers took advantage of a flaw in Internet Explorer to secretly place adware on the PCs of unsuspecting users.

The growing numbers of Firefox and Mozilla Web browsers are also being noticed on the e-business side too. Visitors to e-commerce and corporate sites who used Firefox or an alternative browser almost doubled to 6.5 percent from just three months ago, according to one Internet analytics company.

Firefox also has some nifty features Internet Explorer doesn't, including tabbed windows for easier browsing. And until recently, however, Firefox was the only browser to include a pop-up blocker until Microsoft added the feature.

A Microsoft spokesman, who oversees the company's response to open-source developers like Mozilla and Linux, acknowledges Firefox is on his company's radar and suspects it will be more scrutinized in the months to come.

ZDNet September 15, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I warned you about all the security problems Microsoft was having with Internet Explorer. Often, all you had to do is visit some sites and your computer could become infected. A great many of you downloaded and are now using Firefox, my browser of choice for nearly two years. So much so, that one of the people who wrote the code for Firefox sent a letter thanking me for all the subscribers from our site who downloaded it. Since America Online purchased Netscape -- and Microsoft lacked any major competitor -- innovation lagged way behind in the Web browser world, unfortunately, letting hackers play catchup to find security holes. Give this free browser a test drive and keep the hackers at bay. Related Articles: Switch Your Microsoft Browser (Internet Explorer) Before it's Too Late Your Computer is Infected and You Don't Even Know It How to Get Rid of Pop Up Ads and Surf the Web in Peace