Firefox 4 downloads break 50 million mark

Demand for Firefox 4 shows no sign of slowing down after passing the 50 million download mark just 10 days after launch.

European web users lead the way with just under 20 million downloads, and the early signs suggest that Firefox 4 could become one of the most popular browsers ever released.

V3.co.uk has road tested Firefox 4 for desktops and the new Firefox for Android app, both versions impressing in the office.

Firefox 4 also continued to give Microsoft's IE9 browser a pasting when it comes to uptake. Mozilla's browser hot footed its way to 3.5 million downloads in just four hours, whereas IE9 took 24 hours to reach 2.35 million.

Firefox 4 passed the 40 million mark on 29 March, meaning that the browser has notched up another 10 million downloads in the past four days.

However, Microsoft has hit back at the download comparisons between browsers, claiming that they are misleading.

"Every browser has a mechanism for updating their users from a previous version of a browser to the latest and greatest. For IE9, it is done through Windows Update. In the case of FF 4.0 and Chrome 10 their update mechanisms are turned on as part of their initial release to web," said Ryan Gavin, senior director of Internet Explorer business and marketing, in The Windows Blog.

"We have yet to turn on any updating for any Windows customers who have not previously downloaded the IE9 Beta or IE9 RC. So, every IE9 download is from a customer actively seeking out Internet Explorer 9 and downloading it. No automatic update or in-product prompts."

Gavin also appeared to take a swipe at Mozilla's numbers, adding that Microsoft reports "completed downloads - not attempted downloads where a user may hit a download button repeatedly but without fully downloading IE9".

Microsoft has also been quick to add that IE9 has been installed on 3.6 per cent of machines running Windows 7, trumping IE8's figures a month after it was launched.

However, with IE9 available only on the Vista and Windows 7 platforms, many will be unable to use the browser, and it is likely to lead to Firefox seeing its global share increase.

V3.co.uk readers also favour Firefox over IE9, a whopping 45 per cent saying they would use the Mozilla browser compared to just 23 per cent for Microsoft.

01 Apr 2011