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Figures from NetApplications show that the proportion of Web surfers using the browser dipped by around 0.7 per cent to just over 8 per cent, with Internet Explorer's share growing by the same amount. Safari grew slightly and is now used by 2.1 per cent. Netscape, Mozilla and Opera accounted for most of the remainder.

NetApplications sees 10 per cent as the key figure for Firefox, one which will give it credibility in the corporate sector. Until this month the

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browser seemed on course to reach that milestone some time next year. It remains to be seen whether this is a temporary blip or an indication that, for the time being at least, it has reached saturation point.

Regardless of what the future holds, The Mozilla Organisation is pressing on with development of the next major Firefox release. Work on the latest version (1.8) of the Gecko rendering engine has been completed, so developers can now finalise Firefox 1.5. The current roadmap schedules this for a September release.

In addition to the new Gecko - whose numerous enhancements include a new graphics environment - Firefox 1.5 will simplify the software and extensions update process, making it easier and quicker to install updates. It is also possible that it will be renamed Mozilla Firefox

Gecko 1.8 will also form the basis of Camino 1.1 and Thunderbird 1.5.