Firefox 1.0 Internet Browser released by Mozilla Foundation

Mozilla Firefox 1.0, a free open-source web browser, has been released on November 9, 2004 by the Mozilla Foundation.

Some major characteristics of the browser are: pop-up blocking, tabbed browsing, integrated RSS news reader, themes, online fraud protection, extendable with add-ons and multi-platform (it works on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X). As of November 16, 2004, there are Firefox versions in the following languages: Norwegian, Polish, Finnish, Italian, Japanese, Greek, Korean, Spanish, Russian, Slovenian, Czech, English, Romanian, German, Hebrew, French, Hungarian, Swedish and Catalan. Other languages should appear later.

Firefox has grown rapidly in popularity, with a Preview Release of the 1.0 version surpassing 10 million downloads in days. The browser has received critical acclaim by some magazines and is seen by many as a real competitor to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which currently holds over 90% market share.

Here's what some reviewers have said about Firefox:

"Move over, Internet Explorer. Feature-studded and secure, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 is a safer, better choice for Internet browsing." CNet

"All told, Firefox is clean and fast. If you want a browser that respects your PC intelligence and helps you get things done, Firefox is a good place to start." PC Magazine

"Despite its small flaws, Firefox is an excellent browser that is within a [sic] two years of unseating Microsoft IE from its throne." PCWorld

The software's website can be found at GetFirefox.com.