Google Paying for Firefox Installs

What is that thing you ask?  Google is indeed paying for Firefox downloads with the Google toolbar bundled in.  It seems like a win/win/win to me.  You get about a buck, the downloadee gets a good browser and Google not only gets to get a leg up on a competitor, but also gets a good amount of cash (via more searches done using the toolbar).  I'm guessing this may be a response to rumors that MSN will be much more integrated into Vista.  One thing to be aware of on this is that you should read the fine print.  You get up to a dollar, depending on the location of the user and only if they have never had Firefox installed before.  Seems a bit sleep.  If that wasn't bad enough, I found this hidden in the FAQ: A Firefox referral is counted when a Windows user, who has not previously installed Firefox, downloads and runs the program for the first time. Not sure why they are only paying for Windows users!  At any rate, this should help get some additional Firefox users, and that's a good thing.

Google, Firefox, MSN

--jeremy