Somewhere along the line, Microsoft went from being the powerhouse in the browser market to begging users to switch back to Internet Explorer. Now, Microsoft is running a “where’s the love?” campaign to offer “free stuff” for users who download IE9. In fact, the holiday campaign offers prospective IE downloaders free music, movies, and other stuff. After all these years, hasn’t Microsoft learned yet that it can’t buy love?

While IE may hold a lead over Firefox, Chrome and Safari individually, it’s trounced by the trio overall. So Microsoft is responding not by improving IE and making it a must-have for users, but by trying to spend the competition into submission. Microsoft is offering “gifts” for users who use IE9 to visit certain sites like Grooveshark, Hulu, Vimeo and Fandango. If you visit the IE9 Holiday Page from Windows 7 using Chrome or Firefox, you’ll get a come-on to upgrade. If you use something else, you’ll get a page telling you to go to Windows 7.

“Happy Holidays from Internet Explorer 9. To show you our love this season, we got you a whole lotta free music, movies and other awesome stuff. Unwrap and enjoy your holiday gifts!” states the Internet Explorer 9 website.

The freebies include three free months of Slacker Premium Radio, three free months of AOL radio, one free month to Grooveshark plus, one free month to Hulu Plus, One free movie in your Flixster movie locker, one free $5 movie ticket from Fandango, $5 off Live Nation tickets from Ticketmaster, one free month of Vimeo, and one free month of Pandora.

Internet Explorer may have a feature here or there that’s not found in Chrome or Firefox, but really? It’s just not competitive. It doesn’t compete on speed. It doesn’t have the same breadth of extensions and add-ons as Chrome or Firefox.