The company is still hammering out how it will offer users Firefox 3.6 when it ships in final form. Some, including Beltzner, lean toward a security update-like mechanism, while others have argued for something more explicit, akin to the "major upgrade" invitations that Mozilla presents users of older editions from time to time.

Although Firefox 3.6's interface chances are minor, Mozilla plans to revamp the user interface in Firefox 3.7, set to launch in the first half of 2010, and finish the redesign in Firefox 4.0, currently scheduled for late next year.

Users already running one of the earlier builds of the beta will be upgraded automatically to the version released Friday. Others can for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux in 46 different language editions from Mozilla's site.