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So with the immensley powerful computational engine behind Wolfram, can our queries really be interpreted. It seems very likely that information returned will be ideal for references or studies, but when it comes to search results, there is not enough.

The interface is clean, the information is very accessible, and there are loads of queries you can search to find good data. Everything reference wise is ideal when it comes to Wolfram, but the logic for search is mis-defined and may confuse those looking to trial it.

Google offers this functionality via a different method. The algorithm can decipher the query from informative to product/service levels. For informative purposes, authoritive websites such as Wikipedia are often found at position 1, where as product related queries will return the best sites that match the query. If you are searching for a make of shoe or dress, Google will return shopping websites ahead of generic information based websites, as the focus is to provide results affiliated with the users query.

Wolfram Alpha is an amazing reference engine, however it seems best to refer to it as a knowledge base rather than a search engine.

There has been a lot of hype over the past 2 months with the release of the new Wolfram Alpha search engine. What sets this product aside is the new computational engine behind the search engine. This search engine not only finds results, but it can also provide the answer to questions you may have. But think about it, is it really a search engine? or just a glorified version of Wikipedia?.

Minds alike, the basis of search is to enter a query to find pages related to the query. Search engines do the calculations to determine the best results to return, but a search engine that tries to answer your question?. Ok we can class it as a search engine, but how does this give the end user the freedom to browse through results?. I have to say, the hype is overrated and the search facilities are not what was expected when it was given the definition of search engine.

The market for many search engines aside from the search functionality is the engines ability to return quality results, spoon feeding the data to visitors before they get to a website is a bit too pre-emptive and is not the path to popularity that Google has paved. Although Wolfram is a powerful system, and offers lots of good information, the basic principles just aren't there when it comes to search engines.

The target market for Wolfram Alpha maybe quite small, considering the data returned is generally for reference rather than practical use. A search for the car "Astra" ended up returning information about a 1922 French Aircraft known as the Astra C. Where this maybe useful to some, it does not appear to cut it the way that Google does.

Maybe our outlook is different, Wolfram is about knowledge, and not about rankings. Every day, millions utilise the information contained within Wikipedia, especially since the content is well written and is community based. Using a search engine or knowledge base such as Wolfram is more for the likes of students, librarians, and groups of people looking for information with statistics inclusive.