Browser preference is based on a lot of things–it could be because it’s your default browser on your device, or a friend suggested one, or maybe you’ve discovered the best through trial and error.  If you’re one of those people who aren’t afraid of change, would you change your web browser if it offers you free stuff?  Or could newer versions of other browsers make you change your preference?

A couple of weeks ago, Google released Chrome 15, which boasts of being more app integrated.  It has a revamped New Tab Page separated into three sections: Most Visited, Recently Closed and Apps and a fresher looking Chrome Web Store.  You can update or get your Chrome 15 here.

Of course if Google launched a new version, you can bet that Microsoft and Mozilla won’t be far behind.  Mozilla is going to launch Firefox 8 tomorrow, November 8, but eager Mozilla fans can download the update now.  Firefox 8 is coming out only after a month and a half after Firefox 7 was released.  They’re using a fast-release approach to take care of bugs in their system but the downside is, new versions aren’t all that impressive as they contain very few updates.  To download Firefox 8 for Windows, click here and for Mac, click here.

Though there are a lot of Windows users, many aren’t using Internet Explorer as their web browser for a variety of reasons.  Nevertheless, it’s still the number one web browser in the market due to its default status on Windows devices.  But Microsoft is hoping some charm will sway users, marketing an enticing offer with free stuff from promotional sites.  Partners for the promotion are Slacker Personal Radio, Flixster, Vimeo, AolRadio, Fandango, Zynga, Grooveshark, Ticketmaster, Pandora, and Hulu.  Non-IE users would see a message that reads “Where’s the love?  You seem to be using [web browser].  Upgrade to Internet Explorer to pin these sites and get the free stuff.”  And those using Mac OS X are just out of luck, getting the message “Oh Nooooooo… You’re using Mac OS which doesn’t support Internet Explorer 9 and Site Pinning.”

In order to get the freebies, you need to use IE 9 and pin any of the promotional sites to their taskbar to enjoy the freebies.  Unfortunately, Windows XP users aren’t included in this promo since this promo is to drive more people to use Windows 7 and IE9 though XP is still the most used OS until now.

Microsoft’s latest ploy seems a desperate move to gain new users, though it also shows the strength of its partnerbase as browsers in general move to become more socially integrated.  The freemium model is an important one when it comes to social and media outlets, and we’re seeing this type of integration even beyond the browser.  There’s no telling how well this will actually work for Microsoft.  They’re pulling out all the stops for browser users, mobile developers and others in order to bring more attention back to their camp, but it’s not always the best way to go.