Mozilla tries to shunt Firefox 3.0 users over to 3.5

Mozilla is coaxing users off Firefox 3.0 by prompting them to shift over to version 3.5 of its popular open source browser.

The outfit has begun sending out messages to users of Firefox 3.0.13 encouraging them to upgrade to Firefox 3.5.2.

As an added incentive, it’s telling stick-in-the-mud types to update their browser to the latest version because it’s “twice as fast” and comes loaded with “Private browsing” mode.

Users who ignore the offer to upgrade can select to return to it later, and Mozilla will then give them another nudge within 24 hours.

They can also select the option to never upgrade, but this will in fact only remove the upgrade prompt for “several weeks or months” - effectively, the org is keen to get everyone off the old browser.

Mozilla added that 90 per cent of Firefox add-ons have been updated for version 3.5, but some will be incompatible in the latest iteration of the browser.

Refuseniks who want to stick with Firefox 3.0 have until January 2010 to move over to version 3.5 of the browser, when Mozilla plans to end creation of security patches for the older version. ®