The development team behind the Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge engine has released a Wolfram Alpha iPhone app this October. The app gave the iPhone user access to all the computational knowledge goodness that Wolfram Alpha provides to desktop users – but not free of charge. To get the Wolfram Alpha iPhone app one would have to part with $50. Many wondered if paying $50 would be wise when you could simply access the Wolfram Alpha site from the iPhone’s browser.

Sadly though, this option has been blown away. If you now visit the Wolfram Alpha site from your iPhone you will notice that the mobile-optimized version of the computational knowledge engine has been dropped. Visitors are presented with a popup that advises them to visit the App Store and purchase the Wolfram Alpha iPhone app.

Please note that you can still visit the Wolfram Alpha site from your iPhone – just close the popup and browse away. Just that it is no longer a mobile-optimized site; for a mobile-optimized experience you have to part with $50 and get the iPhone app.

If you were wondering why the Wolfram Alpha app costs $50, here is the official response provided by Jeremy Schoeller Porter, Business Development at Wolfram Alpha: “The website and the app offer different experiences in using Wolfram|Alpha. We’ve spent a great deal of time tuning the Wolfram|Alpha App for the specific needs of iPhone users. The app is, in fact, a large collection of small changes. These changes add up to a unique and natural experience for using Wolfram|Alpha on the iPhone and iPod touch. We believe this experience is valuable, and those who have purchased the app have overwhelmingly told us that they agree. Unlike most of the $1 apps, which tend to only be used for a few days before they’re forgotten, we believe that the Wolfram|Alpha App’s value to users will continue to grow with time.”

And if you decide to purchase the app, here is what you can expect to get:

• The app is connected to Wolfram Alpha’s supercomputing cloud. This allows it to bring the Wolfram Alpha knowledge engine experience to the mobile user.
• It can be used by pretty much anyone, but the team at Wolfram Alpha highlighted these category of users in particular: financial analysts, physicians, scientists, engineers, students, teachers, journalists, parents, economists, nutritionists, systems analysts, marketing managers, pilots, sportsmen.
• The app’s user interface is specially designed for the iPhone. Consequently the UI features a special notation keyboard, customized iPhone output, editable history, and it integrates with native iPhone services (like Maps).
• Easily get an answer to all sorts of questions, spreading across countless domains.

If you would like to get started with Wolfram Alpha, please click here.
If you would like to get the Wolfram Alpha iPhone app, please click here.