Earn Prizes for Using Internet Explorer

The ever-growing popularity of so-called alternates like Firefox, Opera, and Safari has resulted in the gradual erosion of IE's stronghold on the browser market. Even more troubling to Microsoft has been the inability to transform their Live Search engine into a serious competitor to Google.

Enter SearchPerks, the company's latest effort to persuade Web surfers to utilize their search engine. Under this promotion, users earn tickets just for using Live Search. The more you search, the more tickets you earn. These virtual tickets can then be exchanged for prizes including airline miles, sporting gear, and clothing. The deadline to register for SearchPerks and download the Perk Counter is December 31, with the overall promotion set to end on April 15, 2009.

There is a catch associated with SearchPerks. You can only accumulate tickets while using Internet Explorer 6 or above. This means that accessing Live Search with Google Chrome or any of the aforementioned browsers won't get you any closer to that flight to Vegas or that new golf bag! I'm curious to see how many users shift their search engine and browser allegiances here to score some freebies.