WolframAlpha for iPhone – Amazing Information Engine – But, Be Sure to Read its Terms of Use

Screenshot courtesy of Wolfram Alpha LLC

Let me make something very clear: I think WolframAlpha is nothing short of amazing. It is the closest thing to the fictional Star Trek computers that can produce useful answers based on questions posed in simple sentences that we have today. Now, here comes an iPhone version that ties into the web service…

WolframAlpha 1.0 (iTunes App Store)

Is it worth $49.99? As amazing as WolframAlpha is, I’m not planning to spend $49.99 to buy it. Part of the reason is its price. Part of the reason is that WolframAlpha.com works reasonably well for free in the iPhone’s Safari browser. But, a big part of the reason is that I can’t effectively use the answers I get from WolframAlpha because of its terms of use. While it allows using it for occasional purposes related to my job, it looks like I can’t use it on a daily basis without violating the agreement or paying for a commercial license. This is sort of like buying a spreadsheet application but not being able to use its built-in functions to produce answers on a daily basis. If it were say $4.99 or maybe even $9.99, I wouldn’t have a problem with this restriction. But, for $49.99, I’d like to be able to use it everyday without having to pay an additional commercial license.

Be sure you read the…

Wolfram|Alpha Terms of Use

…before you start using the website or iPhone app.

Ways You May Use Our Free Service and Its Results

The free Wolfram|Alpha service is available for ad hoc, personal, non-commercial use only. For such use you are welcome to download results, print copies, store downloaded content on your computer, and reference this information in your documents. You may use it to get information for your own use for any purpose, including occasional purposes related to your job, as long as you aren’t specifically being paid to use Wolfram|Alpha.

Systematic professional or commercial use of the website, or use for which you are being specifically paid, requires a commercial license.

Via Mashable – Wolfram Alpha Launches $50 iPhone App & TechCrunch – Wolfram Alpha Miscalculates What Its iPhone App Should Cost

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