Wolfram Alpha launches amid glitches

This post was updated at 9:10 p.m. PDT to note that Wolfram Alpha is now up and running.

Wolfram Research founder Stephen Wolfram (blue shirt, center) convenes a meeting Friday night live on the Internet to discuss launch problems with Wolfram Alpha.

(Credit: Screenshot by Tom Krazit/CNET)

Wolfram Alpha struggled to get up and rolling Friday evening under difficult conditions, as the company scaled back expectations for its performance this weekend.

The new search engine attempted to make its debut literally in the middle of the perfect storm: a tornado watch had engineers on edge in Champaign, Ill., where Wolfram Research attempted to bring the service online. However, networking and database problems also prevented the engine from launching as of 6 p.m. PDT, an hour after the company said it would go live to the world.

And to top it all off, uplink problems with the Justin.tv service prevented Wolfram from explaining exactly what was going on for nearly half an hour, while commenters in the chat room mercilessly heckled the company with the 21st century Bronx cheer: EPIC FAIL. Eventually, around 5:30 p.m. PDT, Wolfram founder Stephen Wolfram appeared on camera to explain that glitches were holding up the launch, as claps of thunder sounded in the background.

After initially claiming that the service would go live Friday evening, Wolfram lowered expectations by only promising a test launch over the weekend, with full service expected by Monday. Searches could not be conducted through the main home page as of 6 p.m., but it was possible to get in through a back door posted on Twitter and in the Justin.tv chat room and start searches, although performance was spotty.

Wolfram Research was forced to show videos showing off the data center servers and power-redundancy systems taped earlier in the day while Stephen Wolfram convened an emergency meeting to figure out what was going on. The broadcast was somewhat less-than-polished, with audio engineers talking over Wolfram's initial address to the audience and rendering much of his speech incoherent.

Please let us know if you're able to get into the search engine Friday night, and we'll update our coverage over the weekend if Wolfram is able to bring the service online.

Update at 9:10 p.m. PDT: Wolfram Alpha is now up and running and seems to be working just fine. A spokesman for Wolfram Research called at 7:30 p.m. PDT to say it was about to launch, but its exact launch time is unclear.

(Credit: Screenshot by Michelle Meyers/CNET)

[shk828]

you can access the search engine by going to http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/

it all works, i guess.

[jtara]

Even the hand-picked samples don't work. (It's still chugging away at "carbon steel" 5 minutes later...) Well, they work to an extent. I know that it is "assuming" AISI 1026 steel. Whatever that is. I mean, I didn't really want to know about carbon steel, but I figured I'd try something it actually knows about.

Fortunately, I have a friend who's a Materials Scientist, and if I really wanted to know about carbon steel, I could drive over and get an answer sooner than getting it from Wolfram Alpha.

What a joke!

They DID have some kind of a pre-launch test, but I don't think you got invited if you were below director level of a major corporation.

[jtara]

Where is Kathryn Hepburn with a hatpin when we need her?

Too bad the first question they asked wasn't how much capacity they would need for launch!

[Mr. Dee]

Gave it try, I wish I had this in high school, would have helped a lot with math home work. :) Computation is quite fast too on a GPRS connection.

7 days

[Bryan Price]

Wolfram Alpha has currently exceeded its current maximum test load

It seems to have gone live for the public. Now if it would just work....

[gerrrg]

Yeah...tried it out, not going to displace Google search at all.

Wolfie is targeting a completely different audience.

[stockyjoe]

Engineers and programmers at times can get a bit over excited about technology which behind the scenes is impressive in its intentions but from a usability standpoint just fails miserably. This is definitely a niche search engine and very beta at that. Definitely no Google killer and man they need some faster servers.

[macewan_]

Still has problems as seen in this screenshot:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/macewan/3535322203/

[bajadesperado]

I logged on at 7 pm baja mexico time and got right on with an answer in 22 sec. about Google-Yahoo financial comparisons ,then on to various math ,trig,calculus things and excellent response. I am under the impression from the comments so far that the public was expecting a Google Killer search engine,that is not what this is...Try using your calculator on your iPhone to figure some of the basic calculations and see if you can still remember the formulas necessary...not so easy if you didn't pay attention in school or worst if you aged a bit ,they are very fuzzy . Wolfram Alpha is the scientists and engineers answer spot. These are direct answers to your search not 2,567,987 related pages on the search subject that you must view before you find that tidbit you are looking far...Google and Wolfram are two distinct animals in the search kingdom...Give Wolfie a chance and you will see that when you need the calculation or data or formula to get you through the day,Wolfie will be there with the answer.
I think its great to have another source for info and answers...Challenge Wolfie with your best science,finance,mathematical or whatever question and get direct results and see if this will integrate into " your netlifestyle". Then Smile and say "Now I get it!"

[pbarnes7]

The link provided above, http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/ says the server's too busy. But I got good results with this one:

http://www27.wolframalpha.com/input