Web Developers

WolframAlpha Is No Threat To Google

Posted by on May 15, 2009 | 9 Comments

There should be an image here!WolframAlpha is hardly a threat to Google. At its core, based on my own testing, it appears to be little more than a complex calculation engine. What makes it unique however, is that it can do much more than simple math. It will likely come to a point that where WolframAlpha is able to calculate data once only possible by today’s super computers.

So to be completely accurate, WolframAlpha is not something that is going to ever replace good as I am not going to find the most relevant forum threads, articles or other content based queries.

What Google offers that WolframAlpha appears to miss with each query is context. Well at least that is what I am seeing when I test out WolframAlpha. This might change as WolframAlpha evolves, but at this stage in the game, I see little important on WolframAlpha at the moment.

  • http://ictheworld.wordpress.com Hotrao

    The point on supercomputing is a great one, because I think WolframAlpha main advantage is to give to users a big bunch of number cruching power.

    Request can be written in natural language style and, also, their presentation is intuitive and appealing.

    But what seems to me to lack to WolframAlpha is the easiness of use of Google.

    On the other side, I think that Google, during last years, has become more and more pervasive in users lives, and, in my opinion has lost in precision.

    But Google increased its “share” in searh engine market.

    Making a similitude with the curve that underlined Internet development during last 5 decades, what I can prefigure is a not so far future where:

    Natural language is the default access method to queries
    A couple of big “mass search engines” survive, providing an mass oriented, indifferentiated and integrated access to information, with more precise algorithms auto narrowing user searches
    A specialized market (a la WolframAlpha) of niche search engines emerges giving power and niche users
    – integration with mass search engines with a “premium memebership model access”

    – number or data crunching power, also with availability of different access modes, ranging from free to premium (just like leased machine time in good old times)

    – no frills, but effective presentation of data.

    Future is around the corner, but what is the corner around? :-)

    This article also at http://ictheworld.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/wolframalpha-google-and-the-future-of-on-line-searches/

  • http://twitter.com/j800r J Ryan

    All it seems to really do is move the inactive memory to the free memory. OSX manages that anyway. Inactive memory is released as it’s needed. Essentially Inactive memory IS free memory. If it fixed memory leaks or freed up memory that was in use then it may be a little more useful.

  • http://twitter.com/j800r J Ryan

    All it seems to really do is move the inactive memory to the free memory. OSX manages that anyway. Inactive memory is released as it’s needed. Essentially Inactive memory IS free memory. If it fixed memory leaks or freed up memory that was in use then it may be a little more useful.

  • James Rushton

    Kontera? There’s a ‘u’ missing. I hate those damn things that pop up when your mouse passes over them. They are a GIGANTIC pita!
    On a lighter note, hi Chris! Love your work.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      Thanks? :)

  • James Rushton

    Kontera? There’s a ‘u’ missing. I hate those damn things that pop up when your mouse passes over them. They are a GIGANTIC pita!
    On a lighter note, hi Chris! Love your work.

    • http://chris.pirillo.com/ Chris Pirillo

      Thanks? :)

  • http://twitter.com/jabwd Antwan van Houdt

    This tool uses “purge” a developer tool internally. There is a reason that this is a developer tool and doesn’t ship with the OS, you are not supposed to use it like this. It degrades your mac’s performance, let the OS handle the disk cache.

  • http://twitter.com/jabwd Antwan van Houdt

    This tool uses “purge” a developer tool internally. There is a reason that this is a developer tool and doesn’t ship with the OS, you are not supposed to use it like this. It degrades your mac’s performance, let the OS handle the disk cache.