Mozilla sets June 17 for Firefox 3 'Download Day'

by Elizabeth Montalbano

June 12, 2008 —

Mozilla will release the next version of its Firefox browser on Tuesday and
attempt to set a Guinness World Record for software downloads.

The company has deemed June 17 "Download
Day," part of a campaign unveiled on May 28 asking users to download
Firefox 3 on the first day it is released to set what very well may be the geekiest
world record ever -- the largest number of software downloads in 24 hours.

To help its cause, Mozilla is hosting a Download Day event, the Camp Firefox
BBQ, at its offices in Mountain View, California, on Tuesday. The company also
has asked Firefox fans to host parties to encourage friends to download with
them, and place "Download Day" buttons on their Web sites as reminders
of the big day.

Currently, there is no world record for software downloads; Mozilla is trying
to create one.

Release
Candidate 3 of Firefox 3 is currently available online for free download.
A list of the browser's new
features also is available online.

While the fanfare may seem a bit geeky, Firefox -- released in November 2004
-- has inspired a significant and rather fervent fan base. This is in part because
it was the first browser in years to give Microsoft's Internet Explorer viable
competition.

In response, Microsoft has had to add new features to IE in an effort to make
it more innovative. On Wednesday, the company unveiled
new features for IE's next version, IE 8, aimed at making deploying and
managing the browser easier for IT professionals. IE 8 beta 2 is scheduled to
be available in August.

The browser even has its own fan
page (sign-in required) on the Facebook social-networking site, with 91,205
fans signed up and counting.

According to Mozilla, there are more than 175 million users of Firefox, which
is available in more than 45 languages and used in more than 230 countries.

More information about how users can participate in Download Day is available
on the campaign's Web site.

IDG News Service