Firefox: Another Headache to Microsoft?

By Cho Jin-seo

Staff Reporter

Firefox, the world's second most used Web browser after Microsoft's Internet explorer, celebrated a record-setting 8 million downloads worldwide on the first day of the launching of its new version.

Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit organization that creates and distributes the increasingly popular Internet browser, said it saw more than 8 million Firefox3 downloads in 24 hours from release on its Web site on Wednesday. The tally exceeded 10 million on Thursday.

The explosive response from Internet users all over the world well exceeded the expectation of Mozilla chairwoman Mitchell Baker, who happened to be in Seoul on the occasion of the OECD Ministerial Meeting and Future Web Forum from Tuesday to Thursday.

``We are so much excited. We are really happy to see millions of people having got involved, chosen and followed Firefox actively,'' a worn-out looking Baker told The Korea Times on Thursday. She said she hadn't had enough sleep the previous night, watching the count climb and packing her bags for the return trip home.

She said she thought 5 million would be a decent score.