That last sentence is misleading. The web app that they're interfacing is only free because they made the mistake of making it free. If this iPhone app was the only available interface to Alpha, and they hadn't blown their marketing wad on a huge marketing launch for the free web version, $50 wouldn't seem nearly as "unreasonable" as it does now.

Maybe it could have then been positioned as portable mathematica + cool data sets.

BTW: I don't get all the contempt for Wolfram. He's accomplished more than most (all?) of us. I think he's entitled to as many mistakes and delusions as it takes in between accomplishments. And we'd all do better if we followed his example, of optimistic experimenting.

He's the last of many of a long tradition of mathematicians that thought their mathematical work to be the solution to everything. A bit grandiose in his claims.

I've read criticisms that he makes it appear as though certain ideas are of his own creation, but beyond that, I think the guy is quite brilliant. His work on cellular automata as Turing machines is very intriguing. I think more people should give him his due.

They'd have to convince people that their "computation engine" was worth anything in the first place.

As the new Google, of course not. As a very excellent graphing calculator? Doesn't seem like a stretch.

I look forward to someone writing a free "FoxEwe Beta" app very soon.