Mozilla launch Firefox 3

18/06/2008

Mozilla launched its latest version of Firefox on Tuesday after almost three years of development.

The web browser is available as a free download, although its release was delayed for two hours due to a surge in traffic as people logged on to check if it was available 15 minutes before it was due to be launched.

Mozilla is an open-source community meaning that its products are developed mostly by volunteers and are available for free.

The latest version allows users to block known malicious websites, organise their favourite web sites and use Yahoo mail as their "mailto" service.

The update has proved extremely popular and there is an effort to have it recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first holder of the "most application downloads in a day" title.

Mozilla hopes to reach the five million download mark but has set a target of 1.6 million.

With its community of 175 million users, this aim seems rather conservative.