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Firefox Hits 80,000,000 Downloads

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the thats-a-lotta-bits-and-bytes dept.

asa writes "It's been nine months since the release of Firefox 1.0 and with tens of millions of users we most certainly are taking back the web. Today our Firefox web browser hit the 80,000,000 downloads mark. You can see the live counter over at SpreadFirefox.com."

21 of 329 comments (clear)

  1. Obvious question by syntaxglitch · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...how many of those downloads are unique users, vs. prior users downloading a new version?

    1. Re:Obvious question by Omnieiunium · · Score: 5, Interesting

      That is what I thought as well. I know many times I have re-installed Mozilla / Firefox by just re-downloading the install file from that site. I have also done this on multiple computers. So I have easily contributed to at least 20 of those downloads despite being only one person.

    2. Re:Obvious question by CarlinWithers · · Score: 5, Insightful
      This topic has been discussed a good dozen times already on slashdot. The same conclusion is reached every time.

      The long and the short of it is that nobody knows for sure. The point isn't exactly what the number means (80 000 000 unique downloads vs. 80 000 000 downloads by a crazed fan), but that the number is increasing, and therefore so much Firefox use to some extent.

      Personally I've been installing it on customer's systems for a few weeks now as a way to beat spyware. Some of them adopt it, some of them don't. But those who do adopt constitute an increase in Firefox use.

    3. Re:Obvious question by Eric+Coleman · · Score: 5, Informative

      If you download firefox with the firefox browser you are NOT counted. Same goes for the update mechanism in the browser, you're not counted with that.
      This number is simply a metric which happens to be number of downloads. This is not the number of users. No one ever says that, although people seem to misinterpret the download count to mean active users.
      The download number is simply a way to guage the software's popularity. And if I may say so, 80000000 downloads is a good start!

    4. Re:Obvious question by secolactico · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This topic has been discussed a good dozen times already on slashdot

      And will be discussed a dozen times over and over again because slashdot editors insist in publishing every single download milestone firefox reaches.

      --
      No sig
    5. Re:Obvious question by mr_gerbik · · Score: 5, Funny

      And will be discussed a dozen times over and over again because slashdot editors insist in publishing every single download milestone firefox reaches.

      To be fair, Slashdot editors take a break from telling us about Firefox milestones every once in a while to give us the news that someone at Google just farted.

    6. Re:Obvious question by AnotherEscobar · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Excuse me?

      So when I choose to download (and I just checked, its just a download link, not a form), Mozilla.org is pulling information about my system before beginning the download. And they do this without letting me know? And they do it silently and inline with the download? And they somehow differentiate between my notebook and the guy in the next cube with the same notebook?And they somehow compare my system information generated with todays download and cross check against the other 80 million unique entries?

      Wow. Keep on taking back that web, keep on making shit up, and keep on (somehow) being moderated informative by someone who actually believed you.

    7. Re:Obvious question by gad_zuki! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      >similarly to XP activation, Firefox sends us a code generated according to the computer's hardware

      Oh come on, this is just trolling.

      The secret code if it exists is called USER_AGENT. Firefox downloads don't get counted. Nor do downloads from the update mechanism. Surely, if this secret code exists you can sniff the http session and post it here.

  2. 80,000,000 downloads... by dj245 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    not 80,000,000 users. I've probably downloaded the various versions of Opera at least 20 times, between new versions and new installs of Windows. The actual number of users is far lower.

    --
    Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
    1. Re:80,000,000 downloads... by AngryElmo · · Score: 5, Interesting

      On the other hand, I've probably downloaded it as many times as you (maybe a few less), but I've installed it on 900 PC's as the default browser...

  3. In Other News by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Funny

    New Jersey, NJ - Alberto Chumpout, a former McDonald's employee now living in his parents' basement says he's exhausted after generating 80 million downloads.

    "I'll be frank," he said, "next time I choose to artificially increase browser download ratings, I'll choose Lynx."

    When asked if he had slept during this incredible marathon of downloading, Chumpout croaked "Can you help me? All I see is red foxes. My dad said I should stop using the computer. Mom didn't bother me after I disembowelled and ate dad."

    Microsoft is said to be interested in hiring Chumpout for their upcoming IE7 campaign. "Download Internet Explorer 7 or Chumpout will Chump OUT On You" is said to be the slogan, winning out over "Download IE7 and win a chance to have lunch with Steve Ballmer", which insiders said was rejected because they didn't want to scare the consumer too much.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  4. Odd Benchmark by kevin_conaway · · Score: 4, Insightful

    80 million? We get it Slashdot. People are using Firefox. Stick to 0, 50, and 100 if you must.

    On another point, wheres the discussion here? Are we all supposed to just pat ourselves on the back for a "job well done"? Whats the significance of this?

  5. Re: Patch System by Tiberius_Fel · · Score: 4, Informative

    This is partly due to the assinine update mechanism. They really need a better way to deliver patches.

    If I recall correctly, they're working on a patch system that only alters the changed parts of the file (i.e. does not require full re-download and re-install). I think it's set for version 1.5 or similar.

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  6. Firefox Usage about 5% by bahwi · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Firefox Usage is about 5% and growing.

    Not much not much.

    But, at a store, you do not randomly kick out 1 out of every 20 people who walk in.

    5% means nothing, 1 out of 20 means much more. And growing just means it's something to pay even more attention to.

    1. Re:Firefox Usage about 5% by xYoni69x · · Score: 4, Funny

      Personally, I wouldn't randomly kick out 5% of the people walking in, either.
      People who would rather kick out 5% of the people than kick 1 person in every 20 are exactly the kind of people who would use Internet Explorer.

      Wait... what?

      --
      void*x=(*((void*(*)())&(x=(void*)0xfdeb58)))();
  7. This just in... by Twinbee · · Score: 4, Funny

    Firefox reaches 82,500,000 downloads. Only another 2,500,000 to go before the big one!

    --
    Why OpalCalc is the best Windows calc
  8. Wow by PunkOfLinux · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's almost as many downloads as Windows XP Pro!

    --
    Show this to your friends and family that don't know what a real hacker is
  9. Firefox Loses Market Share to IE... by antdude · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Don't get too excited! According to Broadband Reports and ComputerWorld: "The streak of Mozilla's Firefox browser gaining market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer has come to a grinding halt in July. For the first time since Firefox Version 1.0 made its debut, Internet Explorer was able to regain some lost ground. Firefox's market share shrunk to 8.07% in July from 8.71% in June, while Internet Explorer grew its share to 87.2% in July from 86.56% the previous month."

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  10. Re:I've downloaded it 12 times. by JoeBar · · Score: 5, Funny

    are we supposed to know who Liz is?

  11. Re:In other news.... by fireman+sam · · Score: 4, Informative

    "because some 10 year old script kiddie was allowed to donate code to it, without some oversight committee."

    Have you ever tried to get code submitted into the Mozilla CVS? Way back when I was working on it (0.8) each piece of code was reviewed by one of the main members, then super reviewed by another. "Super reviews" could not be done by any main developer, there were only a few that could do it.

    --
    it is only after a long journey that you know the strength of the horse.
  12. Re:In other news.... by Dolda2000 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Firefox is just way too dumbed down for my taste, last time I looked.
    Of course, you're free to use the Mozilla Suite however much you may want, but what has happened to Firefox isn't that it has been "dumbed down". It has simply been made a web browser, which I think is A Good Thing.

    Seamonkey (the Mozilla Suite), however useful, isn't exactly "well designed" in that it's too monolithical. If you want the web browser, you get the e-mail client, calendar, Usenet client and fries on the side with it, whether you want to or not. For those of us using other programs for mailing/Usenet posting/calendaring/whatever-else, that's just a waste of resources.

    The same thing goes for the plug-in architecture of Firefox. Those who don't want/need mouse gestures don't have to waste resources on them, for example. The plug-ins also allow for a more distributed development model, since people can contribute Firefox functionality as a plug-in, without having to contribute the code to the Mozilla Foundation.

    As for Firefox going submarine, that's not going to happen. The Firefox/Thunderbird/Sunbird suite is the official replacement of Seamonkey, which will stop being developed after a certain point (I don't remember when, however). And then there's the issue if why they'd actaully want to do that...