Got a tip for us? Share it...
• • RSS

Wolfram Alpha App Price Drop, New Mobile Site, and Upcoming iPad App

Wednesday March 31, 2010 6:23 pm PDT by Marianne Schultz
Wolfram Alpha, the company behind the online computational knowledge engine that was launched last year, announced today that the price of its iPhone app will be reduced to $1.99 from $49.99. Additionally, the company has launched a new site optimized for mobile devices.

The app's drastic price decrease and the availability of the new mobile site that can be accessed for free both serve to meet the company's new priority to "get Wolfram|Alpha in the hands of everyone." According to Managing Director Barak Berkowitz, the company aims "to democratize knowledge by giving people everywhere access to the amazing computational power and factual archive that is Wolfram|Alpha."

Those who purchased the iPhone app [App Store] at its previous regular price of $49.99 or its sale price of $19.99 can request a refund via an online form through May 3. At its prior price of $49.99, the Wolfram Alpha app stood out in stark contrast to its web site that could be accessed from the iPhone for free, though it has still earned an overall customer rating of 3.5 stars in the App Store. Such a considerable permanent price drop has not been common in the App Store and the offering of this refund is notable for its timeliness and the forthright manner in which it is being offered.

Wolfram Alpha will also be launching a version of its app for the iPad on April 3, to be priced at $1.99 as well.
[ 27 comments ]

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Avatar
talkingfuture
Posted: 28 months ago
Still seems a little pricy as their sites works well enough on Mobile Safari.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
macduke
Posted: 28 months ago
For whatever reason, it never seems to work for the things that I want to research. I've tried it 7 or 8 different times, and it always fails. This is the web version, of course.

Anyone else think they only raised the price to lower it and generate some free press?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
nagromme
Posted: 28 months ago
It’s pretty cool that they’re going to the trouble of offering a refund to those who paid the former price. That’s going outside the usual iTunes system. Not many companies have done that!
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
Switz213
Posted: 28 months ago
The world's best computational site finally did their own computations. 49.99 when the mobile version was just as efficient and free? did they really think it would sell (even without the mobile version)?
1.99 is pushing it itself, though I think the refund is pretty cool.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
zarusoba
Posted: 28 months ago
They might want to change the hideous name to something that people can actually remember:

"Hmmm, now what was the name of that internet knowledge search thingy by that genius dude that I heard about on the radio... Oh screw it I'll just Google!"
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
Tardyon
Posted: 28 months ago
Oh... and April fools?
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
tny
Posted: 28 months ago

Oh... and April fools?


If it's April Fools', does that mean that the copy of the app I just downloaded on my iPhone for $1.99 will disappear tomorrow, or that they'll charge me $47.00 for it tomorrow? In other words, no, this isn't an April Fools' joke.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
squier
Posted: 28 months ago

Still seems a little pricy as their sites works well enough on Mobile Safari.


It's got a nice extra keyboard in the app keyboard, for those that need it $1.99 is worth it.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
broncopde
Posted: 28 months ago

It's got a nice extra keyboard in the app keyboard, for those that need it $1.99 is worth it.


Exactly. I think for the most part whether the app is worth it depends to a certain extent how often you're using it for math/calculus/differential equations. At least that's my experience.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
Avatar
LastName
Posted: 28 months ago

If it's April Fools', does that mean that the copy of the app I just downloaded on my iPhone for $1.99 will disappear tomorrow, or that they'll charge me $47.00 for it tomorrow? In other words, no, this isn't an April Fools' joke.


The Alpha engine tells me that $49.99 - $1.99 = $48.00, not $47.00. :-P
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives

[ Read All Comments ]