Wolfram Alpha Introduces $50 iPhone App

**Michael Essany** · 10-19-2009, 09:32 PM

Image via Wolfram Alpha

While the rest of the world watched in anticipation of Apple's quarterly earnings announcement, Wolfram Alpha quietly introduced their new iPhone application into the App Store on Monday.

As the "official" application for Wolfram Alpha, an answer engine from Wolfram Research, users will have no choice but to pay up for this high-brow app, as it was introduced with a $50 price tag.

Why fifty bucks? Ian Paul at PC World tried to take a stab at this one.

One of the app's main advantages is as a replacement for graphing calculators, which can cost upward of $100; however, it should be noted that regular graphing calculators don't need a Wi-Fi connection to work.

Despite offering a multitude of neat functions - graphing calculator, calorie counter, international economic index, astronomy guide, etc. - its difficult to imagine this app achieving any degree of notable success at such a lofty price. The app, after all, is simply a compressed, portable, carbon-copy of the website, which is accessible as a Firefox add-on.

Let's not forget, however, that Wolfram Alpha was initially hyped up to be the "next Google," even though those behind the search engine never shared those hopes or intentions. But even Google wouldn't have the audacity to introduce a $50 app.

If you type "graphing calculator" into iTunes you get results for 27 iPhone apps, ranging in price from zero to $10.

Sad but true, the Wolfram Alpha iPhone is getting more attention today for its cost than it is anything else, although Ian Paul also managed to note that Apple gave the app an age-restricted rating of 9+ due to "infrequent/mild profanity or cruel humor."

Well, if we're going to cough up fifty bucks for this app, there should at least be some entertainment value, right?

**vantheman169** · 10-19-2009, 09:38 PM

wow thats rediculous i am in the wrong business i need to learn how to program iphone apps. lol

**tudtran** · 10-19-2009, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by vantheman169

wow thats rediculous i am in the wrong business i need to learn how to program iphone apps. lol

Me Too.

**cssoz** · 10-19-2009, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by tudtran

Me Too.

LMAO same

**n00neimp0rtant** · 10-19-2009, 10:01 PM

It must have a built-in 3G-video-streaming easter egg for a price like that.

**sansan** · 10-19-2009, 10:17 PM

just got this, its not even that cool

**lutz2041** · 10-19-2009, 10:46 PM

Overpriced publicity hounds!

**Happy Noodle Boy** · 10-19-2009, 11:36 PM

If you complain about the price tag, you don't "get" what Wolfram-Alpha is really capable and most importantly, IT'S NOT FOR YOU.

EDIT: There's tons of expensive apps in the story you never hear about because they have a niche audience and serves for a specific purpose. This is one of those apps.

**liontaris** · 10-20-2009, 01:53 AM

There was always a problem with pricing with products from them.

For the last 4 months, I have been using SpaceTime which has both a Mac/PC desktop application and an iPhone version. In some respects it is more powerful than Mathematica, for example it allows you to mix symbolic math with computational scripts (so derivatives are given in symbolic form), but the rest looks like FORTRAN/C code. The pricing is much better ($19.99).

**jayteez** · 10-20-2009, 05:12 AM

hmm..thats funny.. i didnt pay a dime for this.

**rwin84** · 10-20-2009, 06:55 AM

Graphing calculators are clutch. Ive still got my TI but this might be worth it to integrate...

**cpotoso** · 10-20-2009, 07:21 AM

What I want is Mathematica for the iphone. I mean, my old 386 with 4MB ram and 40 MB HD could run Mathematica 2.2 without major problems. Why can't they release an "abbreviated version" for the iphone that would be comparable to Mathematica 3.0 (a pretty good version, quite comparable to the current one, only quite smaller). Heck! I'd even pay $100 for it!

**andypropaganda** · 10-20-2009, 07:48 AM

For $50 this thing better perform sexual acts. IMO, this isn't worth it at all, and they will either be dropping the price or the app altogether pretty soon. Anyone who buys this is soft.

**sziklassy** · 10-20-2009, 08:28 AM

I think the average user that this is handy for is a student. Being that students can;t use their phones instead of a graphing calculator for exams, I don't see this doing well. Don;t see engineers and the like replacng their true calcs with a phone app.

**ixbilalxi** · 10-20-2009, 08:55 AM

This app is actually very nice. using it solve integrals is what i have been using it for recently. But there is just sooooo much u can do with wolfram.

If ur complaining about the price you obviously either dont need it or dont know what its capable of.

**fletch713** · 10-20-2009, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by ixbilalxi

This app is actually very nice. using it solve integrals is what i have been using it for recently. But there is just sooooo much u can do with wolfram.

If ur complaining about the price you obviously either dont need it or dont know what its capable of.

So can anyone tell me some uses for this besides solving equations? Maybe I need this app and I just don't realize it yet.

**NArush** · 10-20-2009, 11:13 AM

It'll be .99 in 3-5 months. :P

**ziggie216** · 10-20-2009, 04:24 PM

so how is this different from using the web version at wolframalpha.com?

**nighthawk283** · 10-20-2009, 05:33 PM

Thats a crazy price but bet its all worth it

**badass1469** · 10-20-2009, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by jayteez

hmm..thats funny.. I didnt pay a dime for this.

lol

Originally Posted by andypropaganda

For $50 this thing better perform sexual acts. IMO, this isn't worth it at all, and they will either be dropping the price or the app altogether pretty soon. Anyone who buys this is soft.

since your are the poster of this statement it is obvious that is in you own opinion, and for the $50 dollars dont complain about it, cuz ur not gonna buy it anway. The person that really needs it I'm positive they will not complain at all.

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Image via Wolfram Alpha While the rest of the world watched in anticipation of Apple's quarterly earnings announcement, Wolfram Alpha quietly introduced their new iPhone application into the App Store

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