14 DAY TRIAL // Internet Explorer 9 is without a doubt evolving the right direction in terms of performance, web standards support, innovation, etc. The two million downloads of the browser’s Developer Platform releases are testimony to the fact that Microsoft is getting IE right this time around. But still, there’s something missing. Early adopters that followed the development of IE9 since Platform Preview 1 was introduced in March 2010, undoubtedly know that the Redmond company has focused little on the developers using IE as a platform. Meanwhile, Mozilla revealed that Firefox add-ons have been downloaded over 2 billion times in the past three years.
“When we reached 1 billion Firefox Add-on downloads in November 2008, we thought it would take us less than 3 years to get to the next billion, and with your help, we’ve gotten to 2 billion in half that time! With more than 150 million add-ons in use every day, we know that the next billion add-on downloads will be here before we know it,” a Mozilla representative stated
Firefox continues to be king when it comes down to browser extensions, with Google Chrome trying to follow in its footsteps. 2 billion add-on downloads sends a strong message that Microsoft needs to hear. End users are very interested in extending their browser. At this point in time, Firefox offers the most comprehensive customization capabilities out of all major browsers.
Internet Explorer has always been regarded as more inflexible, and never really took off as a platform for add-ons. At least not at the same level as Firefox. Perhaps it is time for the software giant to start building and nurturing a community around IE, one that could end up downloading billions of extensions for the browser in the future.
“This exciting feat was made possible by the huge community of people who have made and used Firefox Add-ons since we launched in 2005. Over the years, we remained dedicated to building features and products that make Firefox the world’s most customizable Web browser for consumers and developers,” the Mozilla member added.
Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Platform Preview 3 Build 1.9.7.8.74.6000 is available for download here.