Firefox Download Day world record attempt- Today!

For those trying to escape the Guantanamo of Microsoft's software prison, Firefox, the open source web browser, is a favorite tool. It is free, fast, and because it is open source, there are hundreds of add-ons available to customize the program to the viewer's taste.

Devotees have been counting the days until the unveiling of the latest version of Firefox, 3. To build buzz about the release, the organizers of the brower's development, Mozilla, is attempting to set a Guiness Book world record for most downloads in a day. And today is the day. Over 1.5 million people have pledged to download today.

I've used Internet Explorer, Firefox and Opera, the three main choices for Windows or Linux-based machines. Each has its strong points. Firefox is more flexible and stylish. Opera works smoothly. However, neither is as well integrated into all web pages as Internet Explorer. For example, the web page software we use here at WalletPop doesn't always play nice with Firefox.

Hopefully, the growing popularity of Firefox will prod Microsoft into matching its strengths in IE. Now, if they would only match its price...