For years if you wanted to browse the web, Microsoft's Internet Explorer was just about the only place to turn to in the United States. But today, the Mozilla Foundation formally launched what it hopes is a serious challenge to Microsoft: Firefox.

Firefox 1.0 is available at Mozilla's website and in CD form. It includes features like pop-up blockers and offers protection against certain types of on-line fraud known as phishing.

One unique feature Firefox offers is tab browsing which allows an internet surfer to consolidate multiple Web pages onto a single window and organize them as the surfer wishes.

Mozilla was pleased with the offering and in a statement offered, 'thanks to the tireless efforts of hundreds of community volunteers and developers around the world,' that helped make Firefox a reality.

A beta version of Firefox has been downloaded off Mozilla's website over eight million times since October according to a company spokesman. It remains to be seen whether Firefox will be successful in its battle against Internet Explorer, but consumers can only win when there is some competition between companies.